Zen's Art Online
by Personauser93
Summary: Zen is a teen who's only escape from his hospital bad life was the beta for SAO, but once the real game comes out. he is in a fight for his life. Freedom is within reach Zen Karafuta... will you achieve it?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online just my OC**

It was my only escape from this harsh reality… but they took it from me. only temporary but still it was gone. My name is Zen Kara I am a beta tester for SAO. The game was coming out today, so I didn't have to wait long. I would go get it myself… but I'm paralyzed. The doctors say it will be a miracle if I ever can walk again. It's not impossible for me to walk again… heh… what am I thinking. I laughed

I actually had hope for a second I thought to myself in a hospital bed. My arms and legs were limp and couldn't move. They lay gently on the soft bed… yet, I couldn't feel the soft comfort of the bed. Where my arms were, I felt a void, something nonexistent. No they existed, but, only for the sole purpose, of reminding me of the great gift I once had. Were my legs had been, my means of transportation, my ticket into the free world, were now just dead hunks of flesh, hanging, keeping me in this cage of a room.

SAO was a virtual reality online game. That is where I was free, that was my home, not here. The game was made for me. It didn't need arms or legs. It used the one thing that hasn't betrayed me, my mind. In the world, even though I couldn't feel anything, I had freedom. I had the power to explore, make friends, and even have a life. Tears started coming to my eyes. It was definitely better then what I had now. I can't feed myself, I can't protect myself, and I can't even go to the bathroom by myself. I was like a baby. No, I was worse than a baby. Babies could crawl and be free, and as for me, what could I do? I could only lay down wait for the sun to pass me by and the moon lull me to bad while the darkness hid tears. There was only two things that kept me here in the land where the living walked, they were the fact that I couldn't kill myself if I wanted, and my family. My mother and little sister visit every day. My father was like me. he had also given up on me. I haven't seen that man in months. Most of my family still had hope for me. Fools they are. What hope is there, but still, they are the reason I bother logging out of SAO.

Someone opened the door. It was a nurse. They come around every fifteen minutes to half an hour. This one was here to feed me. I had no clock in the room. I asked them to take it out. It just made the days go by slower. I couldn't remember what meal we were on. Once she came in she had sandwiches on tray, so I guessed it was lunch.

"It's lunch time Zen" I was right. The nurse was speaking in a happy tone to try and help me up my mood. No, it didn't work, it would never work.

"You feeling any better?" no I wasn't and I wasn't going to answer her. I abandoned my voice in the real world months back. No this stopped being the real world a long time ago. There was no reason to talk in this fake world anymore. The only person I even react to is my little sister Isis. If I am ever to talk, it would be in SAO. After all that is my real world

The nurse was feeding me the sandwich and if life wasn't bad enough it had avocado. I hated that stuff. I wasn't going to say anything. I just obeyed and ate and once I was done, she left me again. She had given up on talking to me.

Hours were starting to pass by and there was no sign of anything happening. Why would there be something happening? Everything in here can't move!

I always seemed to have bad timing, because the door said otherwise. The door opened and my sister Isis came in. Isis was young around fourteen. She had black long straight hair that stretched down to her waist. Her hair color was the same as mine, and my hair was short, not long. She held in her hand, a copy of SAO. That brought me my first smile of the day. My mother always said that my smile was the brightest thing in her day.

My smile was the one give away she got that told her I wanted to play. She put on my nerve gear and I was now about to play the official version of SAO. Isis finished and I activated it by saying in my head

**Link Start**

The world disappeared and was replaced with white. Colors were flooding my mind they were making up my new home.

Settings came up

**Touch ok**

**Sight ok**

**Hearing ok**

**Taste ok**

**Smell ok**

The settings formed a line. They were all good to go. I went on to the next screen.

Language, I selected Japanese. The language setting disappeared and what replaced it was the log in screen. Since I was a beta tester, I had an account already. I put in my name and password.

Words appeared, they read Zen Kara(M) correct? Yes or No

I used my real name for my username. I had no reason not to. No one knew me so there was no reason to hide my name. The M I guessed stood for male

Yes

The colors came back flooding my mind again and I was in.

I was in a town paved with white bricks. In front of me was a hedge perfectly cut and it slit the path in front of me two ways.

I noticed something new that wasn't in the beta. Tears streamed through my eyes.

"I can feel!" I touched my face with my hand. The longing that I had for this feeling. It was too much. I could feel it. The warmth of my face, the solid ground. The tears wouldn't stop.

This beautiful world gave me the ability to feel. I'm going to enjoy this… for as long as I live.

My appearance was taller than my real body and my hair was now white. Since the game had just came out I started as the bottom level 1. I turned around to see that meny people were loging on at the same time as I.

I smiled "Hello Family"

I started walking. I was on floor one AKA the town of beginnings While I walked through the market I saw many stands of different kinds owned by NPCs. beside every market it overflowed with real players. The game had just came out so there was ten thousand players or even more still in the first town or even right now killing their first mob. That's where I wanted to be. I wanted to level. I made haste towards the fields. I was running past players and even bumped into a few. The bumps sent chills down my spine. I was so great that I could feel. It only took a while to get to the fields, but once I got there I saw great fields of grass, flowers blooming everywhere and to top that off I instantly saw bores that I could fight. I looked at my equipment to see that I had started off with a beginning sword. I readied my stance for the first blow on the bore. My sword was by my hips facing my back. The skill activated and my body glowed a faint purple aura. I ran, the grass and the wind were supporting my action. I jammed the sword into the bore's side making a gap of coded blood. Once I had passed through I turned around to see that the HP bar above the bore's head went to half. The bore charged for revenge. I griped the cold steel in my hand and pointed the sword towards the ground. I activated another skill and slashed upwards. The bore ran into the cut. The momentum from the bore's charge gave my sword the power to slice the whole thing in half.

I defeated my first enemy. I continued to do this for a good twenty minutes and I leveled up. I wanted to save the points that I got from the level up until I found a stronger opponent or I had decided on what I wanted to level. I continued to kill off bores for a good hour. Two bores was my limit at one time. The second bore managed to land a few blows on me and I found out that they didn't transfer the feeling of pain into the game. That made it more convenient for me. I only had to remember the good and not the bad parts of being able to feel.

I hit level three and decided I wanted to log out. I opened the screen and opened the settings.

"What's this?" I said in unbelief. "Where is the log out button?" I checked every menu and option for the log out. It was just gone. I wanted to think that it was an error that they were going to fix. I was about to have my answer. My body started to decode bit by bit. It was a force teleport.

I was teleported to the main hall, and I wasn't the only one. A bell was ringing from the main bell tower in the dead center of the town of beginnings. There was commotion amongst the crowd, confusion.

"Do you know what is happening?" a random guy asked me.

"No… sorry" I replied

I didn't know what was going on and apparently no one else did ether.

"Look up there" someone spotted something. It was a glowing red panel blinking off and on saying warning. Once everyone had their attention on it, it grew. Warning, system error, warning, these were all things that thousands of panels read as the surrounded the town in a dome.

Red liquid started oozing out of the cracks in the panels forming a huge blob in the air. The blob eventually formed a clocked man. The man didn't have a face. I would think that it was a welcome event, but it was too ominous.

"Attention players. I welcome you to my world." The clocked figure greeted. "My name is Akihiko Kiaba and as of this moment I am in control of this world." What does he mean by that? I thought to myself.

"I'm sure most of you had noticed that you are all missing an option in your main menu. The log out button. Let me assure you, this is not a defect in the game. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be. You cannot log yourself out of SAO and no one from the outside will be able to shut down or remove the nerve gear that is on your head. If anyone tries to do so, a transmitter inside of the nerve gear will go off and fry your brain and you will die."

Everyone was panicking at what he had said. There was no way out of this game

Akihiko continued "despite my warning family and friends have tried to remove the nerve gear from some of the players. As a result, the game has two hundred and thirteen less players then when it had begun." He brought up new reports in the sky reporting deaths from nerve gear. This man was serious.

"There is no longer anyway to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system, forever and the nerve gear will destroy your brain." This has to be a joke. "there is only one way for a player to escape death and that is to complete the game. Right now you are gathered on floor one. The lowest level of Incrag. If you manage to defeat the dungeon and defeat the boss you may advance to the next floor. If you defeat the boss on floor one hundred and you will have cleared the game." This was now a death game. My sweat escape was now a fight for my life. I never had anything work out for me. Even my freedom comes with a price.

"One last thing" the clocked figure continued "I gave you all an item in you inventory, please take a look."

I took out the item in my inventory and it was a mirror. What was this supposed to do? Remind us of who we are? My questions were swiftly answered when every player was swallowed by a light. Once all the lights disappeared we were all revealed as we truly were. I was lucky my body didn't bring the peralyzation with it.

"You are probably wondering why I did this" damn right I am "My goal was to be able to control the fate of a world I designed. As you can see I have achieved my goal. This marks the end of the tutorial and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, **I wish you the best of luck**

**WOooooo sword art online started I'm excited. Good day or night peoples**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: **I don't own SAO**

The clocked man disappeared with the air now silent and tense. I could see it all around. There was going to be panic. I had to control myself, we can't clear the game if we panic and do nothing. Everyone ran for the town as they were screaming their heads off. I had no time for this. Through all the bumping and grabbing I fought through the crowd. Everyone was going to be panicking for a while, but not forever. Once they stop the area will be full of players trying to level and get out of the game. The competition will stagger my experience growth rate and I won't be able to level clearly. I had to go. I made my way to the west side of the fields. I need to level, I need to level. I repeated that phrase in my head as I slashed through mobs over and over. I had a look around to see that I wasn't the only one that was grinding. I saw others there as well. These are the people that have potential to beat the game.

**One month later**

After a month of the game coming out people had finally calmed down and accepted it. One of the things I didn't expect was more than I thought had risen up from despair the first day and had levels almost equal to mine. I was at a confident position right now. I could take out any mob I wanted in one shot. In the month a managed to reach level thirteen. I was confident, I felt as if I could actually make it. I could make this climb to floor one hundred. All I needed to do was keep my levels up and play smart. I've memorized the first floor and I was ready for the boss. We hadn't known were the boss room was until just recently when a beta player found it out. They decided that some of the best should form a huge party and go fight the thing.

The crowd was small. I honestly expected more. We sat as a man with blue hair spoke. He wore armor and looked not much older than me. The information he was giving was about the boss so tuned him out. I wanted to take a look at everyone around me. There were about thirty nine of us. few of them looked like they were the same level as me. I didn't need the info on the boss because I was a beta and I knew. The only thing that has changed from the beta was the boss's whereabouts. In the beta we used a team of twenty to clear the boss, but we lost five so it was better that we had almost double

"I would like you all to group in pairs of Six." The blue haired knight told the rest. Everyone obeyed and teamed up into teams of six fast, so fast that I was left out and alone. It looked like I wouldn't be participating in the boss fight. Going in without a team member to switch into so that you can recover points is suicide.

"I looks like you've been left alone just like us." A figure approached me. He had black hair. The boy had a blue shirt under some armor, he was around my age, and I could tell by his equipment that he was one of the few around my level, if not higher.

"Would you like to join up with us?" he sent me an invite, a screen appeared before my eyes that read

You have been invited to a party. Accept? Yes or no?

I had to think about this. If I don't join I could be safe from any danger, but if I do I could get a lot of experience. I wanted to be safe so much, but no… I couldn't miss out in the experience.

I accepted I believed that we could do this. In the beta I was level ten when I attempted it. This time I'm level fifteen, I was definitely ready.

Right below my HP I saw two more bars of HP show up. By the HP bars appeared the names, Kirito, and Asuna.

Once everyone was ready we were about to leave when a guy with orange weirdly spiked hair jumped into the center of the area. He was spouting out some crap about beta testers. He was saying how beta testers would take all of the good missions and monsters. His speech only had a bad effect on me. It made me want to take more of this guy's experience. The blue knight protected us.

Money will be divided equally, and all exp and items go to the group who killed the monster. We started tomorrow.

I took the time we had to enjoy myself. They were having a party, drinking what might be their last drink. I on the other hand used my time to spar with other players. We could spar with each other safely by using option duel, which allows us to fight without any real danger. There was only a few who wanted to spar, three to be exact. I fought first and I was up against a bigger player in his later twenties. The countdown was in the air and above that it was flashing our HP gauges. We had to wait a whole minute before we could start. The timer finally was at the last three counts. Three, two, one, it started. I was the first one to act. I believed that the first one to land a strike in PvP is always the one with the advantage. If you can land strikes, then it causes a threat factor within the opponent. He wated to have the first strike as well, but he wanted it for a different reasons. He wanted to end the battle fast and in one strike. He had a two handed sword, so since I had a one handed I was faster. I let him swing first, in which he did. He swung vertically trying to take my arm off and end the duel/ o dodged tp the ;eft amd swung with my left hand up towards his face. I was to far to do any real damage, but I was able to cut his face. My attack left me open which would have been bad if he had a one handed weapon, but his two handed was still stuck in the ground when I cut his face. Once he ripped his sword out of the ground I had to back up to max distance of his sword to be in a safe situation. I had to be ready for his next strike. I was waiting for it, but then I realized my strike worked. He was too afraid to be the first to swing. I had this won. I charged sword ready. I predicted that he would be afraid of my strike and hesitate. He did, I used my sword to strike his hands holding his sword. The force of my blow smacked the blade out of his hands. Once the blade hit the floor the man fell to his knees in defeat.

"You have won." He sighed "I'm glad you're on our side." He stood up and offered his hand for a shake. Before I could shake his hand another person interrupted us. I had another challenger, and another, and another. My battle was the start of a really long night.

**The next day**

We were in the dungeon now looking at the boss door. It was a jungle dungeon so we had the players avoid any dangerous looking plants or fruit or berries. We had an idea of what this battle was going to go like, but plans do always go as planned. It was finally time for me to spend my skill points. I spent a majority of them on my one handed, half of the rest on speed and the rest on strength.

"I'm ready" I told Kirito

"Ok, how about you" he looked towards Asuna. She just simply looked towards us and shook her head yes. Kirito left to tell the leader that we were ready. It left me and Asuna alone. She was for sure a female, but she had a cloak on with a hood. I couldn't see any of her facial fetchers and her age was a mystery. I only could see some of her orange hair that occasionally draped out of the hood. She had a rapier and had great fighting skills, but she had the game logic of a noob. She didn't know what a switch was. We were about to enter the room and then the leader, the knight with blue hair spoke.

"Listen up everyone. I have only one thing to say you. Let's win!" this got everyone pumped. He opened the door revealing a dark room with the boss sitting on his throne. The boss jumped from his throne and the lights turned on. Once the boss landed on the floor I was able to see his name clearly. ILLFang the Kobold Lord, the name appeared above four gauges of health. The boss looked like a humanoid monster with red skin. He had the head of a dog and in his hands were two huge weapons, an axe and a shield. They were just like I remembered him in the beta. His minions appeared and they looked armored and had clubs as weapons. The enemies were the first to charge.

"Commence attack!" the blue headed knight yelled as everyone sprang into action

We were locked in combat Kirito would be the one to knock the enemies back while Asuna and I finished them off. Our targets were the minions that spawn until the boss reached thirty percent HP, but when the boss reaches ten percent he brings out his stronger weapon that can kill most anyone here, plus he gets a buff in defense. Kirito staggered another and I shoved my sword into its heart to finish it. Kirito staggered another and another. Kirito was fast, if I didn't have Asuna helping me I would have been able to keep up. What amazed me was that Asuna was even faster than Kirito. I was baffled. I turned to see that the boss was finally under ten percent and I had finished the last minion. He threw away both his weapons, but didn't grab its sword yet.

"Stand back I got it." the leader said as he charged the boss. It was strange because that was not the plan that we had one we first came into the room. The leader charged a skill and got ready to do the final blow. The boss finally grabbed his sword, but it was not the one I remember. This was trouble. In the Beta he had a talwar, but now he had No-dachi, which was not only stronger, it had the passive that increases speed.

"It's no good!" Kirito yelled. He had spotted it as well. The leader charged in, but as he did the boss jumped on pillars that were in the room. The speed boost made him seem like a blur. He stopped mid air and landed right on top of the blue haired knight. The boss had brought his sword down through the knight's chest, then using the speed boost the boss jumped behind the airborne knight and slashed his back. Once he was done with that he moved onto his next target. Kirito ran to the leader's assistance. While he was gone I had to protect the rest from the danger of this boss. The boss was jumping around again. He went for his next target, but found his sword blocked by mine. He roared at my face and jumped back. His speed boost had expired. I looked over to see that our leader was dead, he shattered into pieces like glass and my heart sunk. Kirito walked up to me and Asuna joined

"Let's kick this boss's ass" I mumbled. All three of us ran towards the boss.

"We'll hit him just like we did the minions!"

"Got it." Asuna and I were in sync.

The boss charged a skill once it saw us. To counter Kirito charged a skill. They collided and both became staggered.

"Switch!" Kirito Yelled. Asuna was in, but the boss recovered too fast his swung hard towards the ground. Asuna managed to dodge but just barely. The swing ripped her cloak right off revealing a girl with long hair that went to her hips but was partially tied in the back. she was wearing a red sleeveless jacket that went with her orange eyes.

Asuna took the moment after she dodged to charge a skill and jab her sword right into the bosses chest.

"Switch!" she yelled putting me in. I charged a skill and planted it right into his stomach which made him fly a few feet back.

"He's coming back!" Kirito yelled as the boss ran towards me. Kirito was fast enough to intercept the boss and stagger them both again. Kirito and the boss were going at it one on one for a while until the boss's speed boost came back and he got a shot of through Kirito's stomach. Kirito lived which seemed really weird to me. it was a clear indicator that Kirito was at least two levels higher than me. Asuna was the one to catch Kirito when he was sent flying by the boss, but the boss attacked them while they were down. I blocked the attack for them and used a skill to hit to boss. The boss jumped back

"Recover quick and get back in this." I told them both. I turned to the boss and charged. Everyone here besides Asuna and Kirito charged with me. The boss was highly defensive as everyone banged on its sword. It used a defensive skill to blow everyone back and jumped into the air. It was going for a kill when Kirito jumped and cut through the boss. The boss landed violently on the ground. His health was going to give. He had only a few hits left Kirito and Asuna charged it and I followed. Kitito staggered it for the last time and Asuna charged a skill. Asuna was going to get the kill and the bonus, but Kirito charged in front of her and violently ripped the boss in half with his sword. The air was I sign showing that we had defeated the boss. It read congratulation

Everyone started cheering as we got our experience. I got a level up myself so why not cheer? A bald guy came up to Kirito to congratulate him for a job well done and everyone gave him a round of applause.

"Stop cheering!" the guy that was against beta testers spoke up. "Why…why did you let Diabel die?"

"Let him die?"

"Of course! You knew what technique the boss would use! If you'd given us that information up front, he wouldn't have died!"

"I know how he knew!" a random spoke up. (Shut up random. You're not helping anyone) "he must be an ex-beta tester! He knew all the boss's attack patterns! I bet he is not the only beta tester here ether! There's gotta be others here to right? Come out!" the tension in the crowd was thick. It felt like everyone was going to turn on each-other. This is no way to win a game. The tension was broke my a maniacal laugh. I turned to see Kirito having fun with this.

"I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies." Kirito spoke up "most of the one thousand people who won SAO beta test slots ere beginners, who didn't even know how to level up. Even you guys are better than them. but I'm not like those guys. During the beta test, I made it to higher t=levels then anyone else was able to reach. The reason I knew about the boss's sword skills, was because I fought tones of monsters with those skills on the floors far above us. I know lots of other things too. Way more than any information broker.

He started a commotion and was trying to get everyone to hate him. If they hated him they would also have to hate me as well

In the crowd I heard the word beater and Kirito did to.

"A beater… that's a good name. All right I am a beater. From now on don't confuse me with the other testers." He put on the item he got from the boss and started to leave to the next floor Asuna chased after him and I followed

"How did you know my name?" Asuna asked Kirito

"If you look under you HP gauge you'll see two names. I should be the one right under yours." She looked

"So it was written there all this time!" she laughed

Kirito turned towards the second floor door. "you two can become powerful. So if someone you trust ever invite you to join a guild, don't turn them down. Because there's an absolute limit to what you can do as a solo player." Psh me join a guild? We'll have to see about that Kirito then walked up to the door and disbanded our party. Afterwards he walked to the second floor.

After Kirito left everyone went back to the town of beginnings to tell those that the game is actually beatable. As for me I went through the door. I was now in floor two. It was one of the most annoying dungeons that almost every game has… **A cave dungeon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Caves are one of the worst designs in games for then one reason. First reason is that they are over used, second is because they're usually nothing new about them. No one needs to describe a cave, there are rocks, tunnels, and hay look at that bat and slime mobs… I guess that you could describe the feeling, but the only feeling that I get are the ones of loneliness and trapped, two feelings that I didn't get along with well. The cave was not fun at all and the bat mobs spawning every five seconds didn't help at all. Just like the first floor this one had changes from the beta, a new torch system. There was no light in the dungeons outside of the towns. It is so dark in the dungeons that the only way you would be able to see you hand is if it was touching you eyeball. Kayaba made it impossible to survive without a torch. When the lights are off Bats spawn three times faster and the bats have the passive **Night Vision** which allows them to see even in the darkest of areas. Torches were never reliable, they only had a fifteen minutes before they went out and there are dud torches that go out at random times. We lost five players already because of duds. This floor was a floor designed to kill players and for nothing else. The creatures on this floor gave so little experience that you could grind for months without gaining a level.

It's been a week on this floor and it was time to look for the boss door. Seven parties of three were formed and each party consisted of a detector, an information broker and a fighter. The detector was the one that kept an eye out for traps with their high detection stat. the Information brokers drew maps to help find the boss areas and help new people to the floor with information at a price. The fighter are the ones that dumped all their beginning stats on skills to fight with. I was the fighter in a group and the other two members in the group were brothers. There was a small one that looked around the age of eight and there was a large one around the age of seventeen, my age. The smaller one was the detector and the older one was our broker. We had already explored a large portion of the dungeon and was on our way back. We had only forty-five minutes left if the three torches weren't duds and we had twenty minutes until we got to the town so we had a good amount of time to get back to the town, but the older one had a grim look on his face

"The beater is in this town… he needs to die." the older one spat

The younger brother ran in front of the group and turned to walk backwards.

"Hay bro why don't we just kill the beater and do you think there is more than one beater?" the younger one questioned

"Not to many questions at one time" the older one scolded

"Sorry"

"There is defiantly more than one beater. A beater is someone who had made it far in the beta test so of course that there is more than one. They just have yet to show themselves, but when they do…"

"Why do you guys hate beaters? They are just trying to beat the game as well." I enter the conversation

"Because they don't care about anyone else besides themselves and-" the older one was interrupted by the sound of a mob spawning. A light flashes of data molded together to make a new mobs. The new mobs were in the shape of slimes, but it was gold. An HP bar appeared above the right side of the slime's head. The HP bar was the smallest I've ever seen so I wasn't that scared to run in. I ran to the jelly and slashed. My sword pierced the slime's skin and went through like butter. I half expected the slime to die but the HP gauge didn't budge an inch. I slashed at it more but it wouldn't die. I was doing no damage. This mod was a strange one, it wasn't moving and it also had a timer above his head that read 0:10. It was a timer, but for what? (Oh no!)

I ran and took my partners' hands and ran behind a rock

Three, two, one, and boom the mob exploded and the impact was almost blowing us away from at least twenty feet away. If we had stayed we would have die and that would have been it. I couldn't believe I didn't see that sooner. That was the infamous gold slime from the beta. It will explode and the explosion has the states effect **instant death**. The gold slime is an ultra-rare creature that appears in all caves floors in the game but we found a common spawning point for them. That was scary. Once the impact of the explosion calmed down words appeared in front of me and my partners and they read **level up 2** which meant that we had all leveled twice from that near death experience.

"Oh my. What the heck was that?" The older one was heavily breathing

"Free levels if you ask me?" The younger one stared leveling his skills.

I kept quiet. Once the younger one leveled his skill he looked shocked. "Guys! We aren't done!" he pointed behind us. We turned around to see the spiked legs of monster three times my own size. The monster looked like a black spider but had wings. It stared at us with six eyes and was glaring into our soul the best an AI could. The spider had five HP bars appear above on the right of its face. The spider was this floors boss, but it wasn't supposed to be a boss that could leave its room.

"Run!" I yelled leaving first and the others followed. The boss started to pursue us crashing into walls taking chunks out of them. We were faster but the boss was defiantly faster it would catch up at any second and kill us. Someone had to stay behind to distract the boss while the others get away. One of us had to die

I stopped as the others ran

"Keep going" I yelled to them. I just volunteered to die for them. People that I don't love or even know, but I didn't because they had a life outside of this world, but as for me. This is my world. I ran towards the boss unsheathing my sword. It spat webs at me. I side stepped left to right as I got closer and closer to the boss. Once inches away from the boss I ran underneath the boss and slashed towards its stomach. The blow landed, but didn't do much. I kept running, but this time back towards were the boss first spawned and in the opposite direction of the town. There was no more means of escape. I had to keep moving forward or the boss would catch up in an instant. I opened up my menu and put the rest of my points that I saved and the ones I just got into my speed stat. once I clicked confirm my running speed increased to almost twice it was before. I was starting to lose the boss, but it didn't give up. It jumped and took off with its wings and its speed increased as well. I was running and a red warning appeared in front of me. Five minutes left on your torch. I had no time left and we just passed the area that the boss appeared which made me remember an important detail. I kept running and the boss followed. I made it to where I wanted to be. I turned around and the spider boss stuck me to the ground by shooting webs from its mouth towards my feet. The boss stared me down. I took out a potion. The potions effects were invulnerability to status ailments for five minutes. I chugged the potion

"Kayaba this is when your game is flawed!" I yelled and threw my sword at a flow of data that turned into the mob golden slimes, we were in the heart of the golden slime spawn area and they all started the timer.

Three, two, one, and the slime exploded throwing me through the air. The boss blew up into hundreds of data pieces while if front of my eyes appeared warning over warning that read

**Immune to status aliment instant death**

But I was flying and my HP was rapidly depleting. My HP was going to hit zero, but I wouldn't let it. I chugged and chugged potions holding onto my life. My last potion was gone when I finally came to a fall. I hit the hard ground and my HP almost dropped to zero it read.

**3/6700**

I was at the edge of dying and the explosion sent me so far that I didn't even know where I was, but the stairs to the next floor appeared in front of me so I was pretty safe. Once last massage appeared before my eyes as I got up it was the exp message

**Level up 8**

I had leveled up eight times from all the slimes and the boss. I had also gotten the last human hit on the boss when I slashed it stomach so I got the last hit bonus.

The item was dusk goggles

It was a unique piece of equipment that took the place of a helmet. Its stats were determined by the players level so it was a consistent item, but this item was great because it had it had a one of a kind passive.

Right under its name it read dusk goggles passive **Night Vision**.


	4. Chapter 4

**disclaimer: I don't own SAO**

After five months we had made great progress we had made it to floor 16. the dungeons got harder and longer every floor but we managed to complete every floor with minimal casualties. It seemed harder to level each floor as well, my level was now 32 I was the highest leveled highest leveled character in SAO this made my dusk goggles a lot better because they scaled with level. I wore them on my forehead. Not many knew that I was, just me and my info broker. I had more time to grind then most people because I don't sleep as much as other people. I had enough time in a bed and I didn't come to SAO to sleep, death game or not, this is reality now.

I was in the floor 15 dungeon and thankfully it was a field dungeon. I was slaying mobs when an armored player approached me. He had red armor that had a white outline to it. Once he approached me I noticed that he was not alone. He had a group of at least thirty players behind him. The first thing I thought was that the guy was popular. The second was that I didn't know what he wanted with me. I raised my hand to my cheek to gesture a greeting

"Llo." I mummer before I turned away and went back to my grinding. I didn't know what he wanted but none of it had to do with me.

The man caught up with me again with a regal face that had a hint of irritation.

"Hello Zen Kara, my names Hiefgliph leader of the knights of the blood oath~"

"Don't care bye" I continued to my next mob, but this man was persistent and it was getting on my nerves. After a second of him following me I stopped and stared at him in the eye so I could get this over with an get back to my world.

"What do you want?" I said with an irritated mumble

Through all of the chasing I put him through he was able to keep his composure.

"Fine..." His face turned to one of harshness like he was rethinking his action "we are the number one guild in Ancrad right now I would like you to join. You could be of great help with~"

"No thanks" I interrupted. This caused a awkward moment of silence followed by the crowed behind Hiefgliph outraging. I kept my calm and raised my hand to wave him Off. His face was now one of disappointment.

"Well that's too bad" he started to walk away when there was a hand in the crowd that was raised

"What is it?" Hiefgliph turned to the crowd. The crowd started to rustle a bit until a girl with long green hair and a white jump suit popped out.

"We can't give up that easily!" The girl shouted in an unneeded tone. The girl charged at a high speed to me and grabbed my hand.

"Leave him to me! Chief Hief!" She shouted as she raised the hand that was holding mine. I started to struggle but her grip was locked, it felt like only a buzz-saw would Be able to free me.

"Fine I'll give you three days Lexi." Hiefgliph said as he left His helper behind. Excited that she got premition she started bouncing up and down, pushing me and pulling me. It hurt I-I just wanted to RAH

"LET GO!"

Day one

What can I say about Lexi... Highly annoying, really bubbly, doesn't know when to shut up. Lexi followed me throughout my grinding leaching experience and hasn't stopped talking since Hiefgliph left her with me. I can see why he didn't stop to think about her going with me. What was he trying to do anyways? Torture me into joining the knights? Anyways Lexi was none stop about why I should join the knights and what they do. I only caught a bit of it. I caught that Asuna was the second in command, and that they needed me... Really... Really... Really! Badly. Even though I was happy for Asuna for following Kirito's advice. I couldn't help but wonder... Why the knights of the blood oath?

"You even listening!" Lexi yelled a little upset throwing her arms to the side and stomping on the ground.

"No" I replied still moving "I don't get how you can be so persistent." I speed up. She caught up I'm no time and jumped in front of me.

"Because I have to get you on our side!"

"And how are you going to do that in only three days?"

"I'm just going to keep bugging you for all three days an if that fails I'm going to use my secret weapon!" She raised her fist to the air and shut her eyes for dramatic effect.

"Secret weapon? What's that?"

"Shhhhh it's a secret." I put her finger on my mouth

When we finally found the inn that I was staying at we entered. It was a very unpopular inn that nobody goes to because its small, ugly, and costs the same amount that every other inn costs. The inn had no matching colors with a design of green and red. It was a holiday inn for Christmas. The fact that no one comes to this inn made it perfect for me since I'm not much of a people person. When I went in my first sight was a counter with an NPC behind it. Behind the NPC were wooden cubbies that held keys.

"I would like to stay the night." I walked up to the inn NPC

"Alright that will be~"

"I don't care I'll just buy every room there is tonight." I transferred the money to the NPC's account and went on my way.

The inn was a two story building with only actual rooms on the second floor. As I got up the stairs I stopped right in front of the closest door. I have to take care of something before I thought to my self as I turned around.

"I'm going to bed now see you tomorrow." I waved her off, but she just stood there. Did she not understand?

She put her hands at her hip and leaned back to puff out her chest and show authority

"I'm not going annn~"

"Night" I shut the door on her. I looked back to my room to see a generic room with only two beds. The walls were covered in red and green wall paper.

"Let me in." Lexi cried out from outside the room.

"Sorry don't want to! And even if I did there is only one bed in this room." Saying that put a smile toy face.

"Fine I'll go get my own room for the night!" I heard stomping telling me that she was going down stairs to go get the key. To bad I own all the rooms. I thought as I went onto my be to enjoy a nice night of sleep. I give her two days till she gives up.

Day 2

I was hired to help players fill in a map and Lexi had to come along.

"Can't believe you made me sleep outside..." She mumbled grumpily. I ignored her. Floor sixteen was a dessert dungeon. It was pure sand that ranged from maintain to maintain with no boss door in sight. The monsters here were armored lizard men, some with swords and others with spears. They had the ability sand travel. This ability was scary because it allows mobs to travel underneath the sand and Get sneak attacks on players. Mobs also can group and group underneath the sand and cause a monster trap. Once a player steps near those mobs they all surface making a deadly one vs forty fight which is Unwinnable. We had to watch out for those and every few feet with a throw of a rock. Lexi had a huge investment in accuracy so she had nailed every rock that she had thrown. We had to keep walking and paying attention, But when I looked at we she looked saddened. The smile that was always on her face wasn't there anymore.

"I don't get it..." She talked to her self in a quite tone.

"What don't you get?" I stopped my march and turned towards Lexi.

"Do you not want to complete the game?" She looked on me with eyes that told me that she doesn't know what to do anymore "The knights of the blood oath was a guild made to clear the game with the help of the greatest players." She turned her attention away from me and towards the ground "I had family and friends out in the real world. I want to get back to that..." She turn towards me with anger in her eyes "Don't you have a life outside as well!"

She just then pulled a very thin cord. I turned away from her and started walking. "No. I don't have a life outside this game. In fact I don't care if we stay here."

Once I was far away I started thinking. What does she know about me?! Ha! a life outside!. I tightened my grin with anger, but then loosened it as a tears fell from my eyes. It hit me how much I missed my sister and I remembered that she is in the outside world waiting for me to come back. She was the only reason I cared to log off for. I guess everyone in here has some to go back to huh?... At least most people.

"Ahhhhh!" I heard a scream from back where I separated from Lexi. Then it thought "Lexi is in trouble!" She didn't know why we were throwing the rocks!

I ran to her aid. It took a minute but I made it before it was to late. The air had a red tint to it and she was surrounded be at least 30 lizard men all bunched up in a group all around her. Her health was already below 40%. I charged into battle with sword in hand loading a skill. I slashed horizontally and cut through three lizard men. Once the data was not wasting space I charged into the pit of lizards slashing and stabbing. I had killed at least 6 before made it to Lexi. She nearing 20%.

"Don't go giving up on me now! Use your teleport crystal!"

She looked towards me with worry in her eyes "I can't!"

"What!" I said as I slashed a lizard that jumped at us. Why can't she teleport. Kiaba! What did you do!

"Looks like we have to kill every single one! I told her and she got into a ready position.

"Do you have any health potions?" I asked her

"No"

"Me neither so don't get hit!"

Lexi didn't fight with a sword. She threw sharpened pebbles with an insane accuracy stat. I could tell that it was actually a very effective way to battle to. She threw a pebble and staggered a lizard it. I then rammed the staggered lizard threw the stomach. Once the lizard was gone five more tried to jump me. This was a bad spot because I can only kill three in the position they're in. I was bond to take damage. I slashed horizontally again to kill three. The two who weren't killed hadn't damaged me yet. I turned and then saw that where they were, they were replaced with dead clumps of data.

"Wooohoooo!" Lexi jumped for joy at the two kills she made happen.

"Grats" I told her as I charged the rest of the lizards. I cut and slashed my way threw all of them except two. They stood side by side. It was going I be too easy. I ran for them and charged a skill holding m sword to my hip facing behind me. I then swung my sword and it ripped threw the air catching one o the lizard men and soon the other, but no the second one jumped the blade and landed on the dead ones head before it had turned into data. The lizard man using the hight that he already had he jump far Ito the air where I couldn't reach him and hen started charging a skill. I assume that he was aiming for me so I got out of his way, but that wasn't its plan. He threw his charged sword at Lexi. The sword ripped threw the air.

"Lexi!" I shouted hoping that she would avoid it. She heard me and jumped to the left scratching her cheek, only dealing a percent of her health. Thank goodness I was so relieved when she survived it. After the last attack the lizard man fell right onto my blade killing itself.

Once the battle was all over I fell to my knees with joy.

"Yea!" Lexi yelled with joy. But then she clasped to the ground. That was bad I ran up to her and examined her condition. She was burning up. I had to check her life bar for any status conditions and when I checked, there it was poison.

"Dammit!" I yelled "we need you to a town!" I brought out a mass crystal and tried to teleport both of us out, but the teleports were still not working. I had no time for this! I picked her up and started moving threw the desert. Step after step while Lexi's health was depleting over time. It was about twenty five minutes and Lexi's health was at 10%

"Zen, am I going to die?" She sounded weak. Her arms and legs limp

"No. You aren't just keep hanging in there. Tell me about that family you need to get back too." I readjusted her back into my back

"Well I have a mom and dad. They would always be so protective of me heh... I didn't like that so I shut them out and did what I wanted for a long time even to today. One day I messed up real bad and they yelled at me. I know that it was because they cared for me but I ignored it and shut my self off In the beta of SAO."

"You were a beta tester?" I asked her

"Yea and I've made it far enough so that I can call my self a beater. Heh" her laughs started to sound weaker. "But anyways I used to play twenty four seven and not care about my mother or father and after a mouth of being in here I realize that I miss my mommy's warm hugs and my daddy's bad jokes" her voice started to get weaker and her health hit 5%. I wasn't going to make it! I opened my menu to desperately look for an antidote. I had stuff for paralysis, bind, and even forced sleep, No Poison!

"I'm not going to let you die!" I yelled as I took out my crystal one more time and held it to the sky. Nothing nothing!

"Teleport!... Teleport! Teleport! Teleport teleport teleport!" This can't be happening! Her health dropped to 3%

"And when I realized the I missed my parents" Lexi continued to talk "I realized that there are many people I here good or not... That miss there parents, children, friends, family. And I felt that I needed to help everyone reunite. I made it a quest that started off as getting back to my parents, and changed to getting everyone out of this game." She smiled while saying this... I wouldn't know if I could do the same if I was in the same position.

"Hang on! So you can complete that quest!"

She grabbed my hand gently with hers "It's ok Zen I guess its my time."

I couldn't accept this!

"Zen... I have one last secret to give you" I leaned in to hear what she wanted to say... But as I got close her lips connected with mine. The feeling was sweet, warm and genuine. I never wanted this feeling to go away, but we had to separate sooner or later

"There. My secret weapon." Her smile grew larger

"Bu~"

"Shhhhh it's a secret." She put her finger on my mouth I was then when her health hit 0% and she started to disintegrate

"Zen please complete my mission for me. I don't care anymore if you join the knights or not." She gave one last smile "I believe you can do it!" She put her partially gone hand on my face "bye Zen." And with that she was gone..

Utter sorrow filled me and then rage and there was only one person that I could blame this on.

"Kiaba... Kiaba! KIABA!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyviewer. I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Summer is my busiest time of year. Aka work. This chapter is a special one. It's what I call a review chapter or a Book of Lexi chapter. These chapters cover a certain part of the cannon SAO story. And instead of first person it will be like a review of what happened. I did this so that I don't have to cover a detailed rewrite of something you can just watch the anime for. Plus I find it kinda cute that Zen is writing to Lexi 3 it is not nessesary to read this chapter and it is not at all detailed. With all that said**

**Disclaimer: I do not own SAO****.**

** Book of Lexi Chapter One**

What can I say... We made it to floor 25 at a fast pase. The minions stopped giving me experience from me being over leveled around floor 17. I was lv 47. Some players were

With me on the exp train. They managed to reach the same level as me. Like Kirito and Hiefgliph. I have been in the front lines ever since Lexi died... I had something now to drive me to end this game. I took every point I had that day and put it in accuracy and speed. I found a grind spot for sharp throwing rocks and maxed out on them. Players have seen me using them on the front lines and gave me the nickname the (dusk sniper). The name was made because players noticed me by the dusk goggles on my head and the far distance style of fight I used.

My other nickname was the abandoner. Given to me by the knights of the oath...

Well anyways I was at my inn on floor 11 when I saw Kirito hanging with a group. This was weird because I knew Kirito was a solo like me with not many friends. Well he was walking into one of the more popular inns with a group behind him. This got me interested so I wanted to see what was going on. As I walked into the inn. I saw Kirito with a group of players at a table

"So what level are you anyways?" One of the players asked from behind Kirito's chair putting his hand on Kirito's shoulder. Kirito was hesitant on a wierd question. He was lv 40, why couldn't he just tell them that.

"Twenty" he lied. I didn't know the purpose of the lie. Was he scared of them? Why? He was twenty levels over them. He could take them all on if they turn on him. That's when it clicked in my head.

Oh... He's trying to make friends...

The conversation started to screech in my ears so I decided to leave. If Kirito ends up with a guild thats his choice...

I started walking back to my inn when I started thinking of what I should start doing. I thought about leveling but, the floor 28 mobs were not worth the exp they gave. Once I got to my inn I had ran out of ideas. I might as well stay around Kirito... Atleast till the mappers find the boss door.

**A week later**

Kirito and the moonlight black cats have been grinding on low floors like 20 a forest dungeon. Having Kirito there made killing the mobs way easier then it was supposed to be.

There has been progress throughout the floors me and Kirito have been tanning back and forth to front lines and back. We had made it to floor 28.

I didn't know how long Kirito wanted to stay with this guild, but it was helping the guild level faster. Everyone in the guild was near lv 26. Six levels in a week was a great accomplishment. This was the problem with having a secret level 48 on your team. One of the players suggested that they should hunt at a higher floor. They think they can take the mobs because Kirito has been doing most the work and they didn't see that. The black cats decided to go to floor 27... A floor under the front lines...

When I got to were Kirito and his friends were ahead. They had opened a trap door. Before the trap fully closed I jumped in. Inside once they found out it was a trap. Dwarfs and rockmen spawned. I quickly killed a corner of mobs and told everyone to get in that corner until Kirito and I killed the rest of the mobs. Once we killed the mobs I told the guild about Kirito's true level. It was a shock to most of them at first, but then they were ok with it. The female said that Kirito should rejoin the front lines so we could get to finishing this game faster.

"And that ends my review" I close a book of from me and look up towards the air.

"I hope your watching Lexi." I close my eyes.

"We're getting there."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer I do not own SAO**

There was a slight hush I'm the air. Players were all gathered around in a cave. At the top were blue lights. It revealed a map that was on a table. The map showed the whole layout of the 56th floor and above it were Kirito and Asuna doing their usual fight. Kirito was making a complaint about killing off NPCs to beat the boss. I didn't know what his problem was... They did respawn. I honestly thought that Kirito was crying over nothing.

After Dominance was stablished between the two some of the players stood in the cave to think. I on the other hand wanted to feel the warmth of the sun. I walked out so I could enjoy a beautiful day in SAO... Well, at least until Asuna approached me.

"Zen, may I speak to you for a second?" Asuna festered toward me. She wore a knight's uniform. The uniform had white with a red out lining it was light armor so it wasn't bulky and it was short sleeved. Tied to her waist was an emerald rapier that she used to make swift lunges and stabs to poke at her enemy.

"Sure" I said gesturing towards her. I was wearing a new set of armor. It took the shape of a blue clock and had black outlines. It went all the way to my pants that matched. On my forehead I wore my dusk goggles. It was those goggles that obtained me the name night eyes. I was finally able to use the goggles to their fullest when I found a blacksmith that was able to make the custom made item antilight bombs. Antilight bombs have the ability to cover an area with a thick layer of darkness. It helps because bats are the only mobs with the ability night vision. Mobs without that skill just stand almost motionless. It made it simple to assassinate large scale of mobs with my goggles having night vision.

Asuna pulled me over to the side where no one could hear our conversation

"Zen..." She looked at me with conviction in her eyes.

"There was a group of players on floor 54... That saw you one shot a group of mobs from a distance. It was a weapon no one has seen in SAO before... What is it and where did you get it?" She had found out about a skill that I had learned recently. It appeared after I had maxed out my accuracy. The skill was Crossbow and it unlocked a new item set that only can be obtained with the skill. The bow was three and a half feet long and the arrows for it dealt fetal damage to anything it hits. The only down side is because of its weight it can slow me down.

"Don't worry about it... It's unique to one person anyways"

"A unique skill?" Asuna was in wonder

I wanted to leave before she started to ask questions. I could already see in her face the hundred plus questions coming to her mind.

"Ok Zen I'll be off now" She waved her hand and started walking off in the opposite direction. I was in shock for a sec wondering why she didn't ask the questions she so obviously had.

"You should reconsider joining the knights" She yelled back at me before she left my sight"

I thought and reconsidered joining the knights again. Then I thought to myself. I knew I would never join the knights… I haven't even the faintest interest.

After the talk with Asuna Everyone on Floor 56 had to get ready for the boss fight or leave the floor because this fight is going to be chaotic. Some layers that faught on the front lines were scared of boss fights and usually choose to leave and not fight… even though it would be better if they stayed we couldn't for them to stay.

Once the scared players were gone the operation began. This was the plan. The boss was called Fin the all-powerful. He took the shape of a genie, except he had the head of a boar. Jin also had crescent shaped bone spikes that shot out of his back like a porcupine. The most annoying thing about the boss was that he wasn't confiding in a room. He roams around the floor on Sundays every other week. We also had a certain amount of time to find him and kill him. The boss was solo with no helpers. The problem is that the boss had a life regain passive that healed him every five minutes and had massive AOE damage.

The plan was that we wanted to lure Jin into the town so he would auto target NPCs if they got close. To get him to the town was the difficult part. We had to share agro from the boss as he chased us using up health bots as we go. The boss appears at a random spot on the floor so the path back to town can be short or it can be impossible. To find the boss we sent serch parties in groups of four in each direction of the dungeon. Once a party found the boss they would send a mass message to the entire front line. Once the message is sent the party that finds him agros the boss and then heads for town. At first we agroed the boss by using throwing items so you can keep at a distance, but throwing items didn't make it mad enough to chare as fast as it can at the person who agroed it. We didn't have time to walk the boss to the town so that was a temporary solution until the entire front line got into position. After, we started agroing it harder with blades.

Jin charged dropping player by player to low health. Once a player was low agro was switched to a higher health player. While low the player would go behind the boss and chug potions. After thirteen players Hiefgliph left agro at yellow hp. It was my turn I went into agro range and put my sword threw his side as I put on my goggles. Jin didn't take kind to this and roared. I speed ahead just enough to dodge a bone spike that launched from his back. He started to throw his fists at me while spikes from his back shot towards me. After a while they spikes started blocking my path. My HP hit yellow, but I kept going. I had a plan so I could stay in longer than normal front liners. I turned around and charged a throw skill, which is my most useful skill now. I threw an anitlight bomb that scored a direct hit. Once the bomb went off a black sphere engulfed Jin's head and then he was blinded.

"Jin! Your mother was my breakfast!" I had to keep my voice up so that Jin wouldn't forget I'm here and move towards his spawn point. He kept on chasing my voice in front of him, but his attacks were nowhere near hitting me. Eventually he hit me once or twice and brought me down to red, but as I did we made it to town

Once Fin was in the town we had every player get away from him until he started attacking the NPCs. Once he started all the players would go in, hit the boss, and get out before they got targeted. The plan was going smoothly we managed to do more damage that he healed.

The boss got under 50% and things started to get dangerous. Jin's skin turned red and his damage off his skills increased as well as the size of his AOE. It got dangerous for a lot of players fast. The AOE was big enough to hit an NP and three other players thirty-five feet away from the NPC. I got to the point that players had to do permanent retreats. After bashing at it for a few minutes we got it to 20% he had two bars of health left and we weren't killing him fast enough. The day was about to end and the boss was about to disappear. We were going to have to do the boss fight again and that would be too dangerous for a lot of players. I had to use my secret skill. The boss wasn't targeting me yet so I had time to change equipment. I pointed my finger out in front of me in the air and swiped down. What appeared before me were bubbles in midair with options like item, stats, and equipment, the rpg basics. I selected equipment and it opened up a menu to the right of the bubble. The menu had names of all the equipment I had. I scrolled down and selected the item Stringed Vein. Once selected a menu appeared above it blocking the other from vision. equip? yes or no it read. I selected yes and my sword blew up in a bunch of pixels, then the pixels came back to form a crossbow as big as half my body.

"Out of my way!" I yelled to clear the area. Once everyone left I went down on one knee so that the kick back on the crossbow wouldn't kill me… literally. I aimed at Jin's head and fired. The bow shot through the air with so much power and speed that you could hear it cutting through the wind. The kick back was still powerful enough to put me on my back, but the bow was worth the bruise as it hit the bulls eye and sored right through Jin's eye almost instantly killing him. I had to recharge the bow which was the down fall of it. Five minutes was a life time on the fettle field. The boss was left with a sliver of health left, luckily Asuna finished it off relieving me of the wait. The congrats was sounded and the next floor opened. I loved that we passed the floor, but I'm not excited about all the questions I'm going to get about my bow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO**

Floor fifty five was a dark forest with different sections where areas would have dead trees while others would have dark trees and the least had living trees. This forest had a haunted setting. This floor was full of monsters that had special spawns like coming out of the dark, coming up from the ground, and some before you see them drag a player into the darkness were monster spawn traps are placed. It was a fun floor in my opinion, I use to go to horror films all the time before the accident. The enemies gave less experience then the last floor so my job here wasn't to grind, it was to map the floor, and even that wasn't going to do much. The floor boss room is in the town, but is locked and the key is somewhere in the dungeon. The map for this dungeon wouldn't be of much use due to the low experience and the no need for it to clear the floor. It's only use was to avoid monster spawn traps. While mapping I had to watch out for spawn areas that might have field bosses and area locks which can lead to players' deaths. I would test areas for these things by throwing nails. The new upgrade to rocks that is sold in the shops of this floor, they did more damage and their shape made them cut through the air like butter so they would go faster. I would test every seven feet. It wasn't necessary, but in a game where you have no second chances or due overs I'm not going to take the risks.

"If I were a key where would I be?" I mumbled as I threw the next nail.

"If I were a key I'd be in a pocket." A man's voice rang out almost sung in a very high tone. I turned to see a man older then me with brown hair in a ponytail with bangs that hung off his face. He wore a shirt that looked like a jacket that reaches down to his thigh in the back. The shirt was open showing an undershirt. His pants were silk and his whole outfit had a green and yellow theme to it.

"Hello…" I stared at the man blankly and shared an awkward moment with him until he broke the silence.

"Aaaawkwaaaard! He blurred the word and his tone got higher. "My name is Kagura, a very handsome man and reliable on … Any team. He put emphasis on any and yelled it.

"Alright… um… Kagura right?" I looked at him with a puzzled look on my face

"Yes!"

"Alright Kagura, I'm mapping this floor right now I'll see you later." (Hopefully never again.) I started walking again throwing my nails further than before to get away from whatever it was that I just ran into. I would have gotten away to if I didn't have to test ground

"Wait!" he caught up to me "No one should be alone especially on a floor this high. I Kagura shall join you." after he said that, I face palmed.

"Stay behind me…" I mumbled as I continued on my way. Kagura and I fought mobs and split the already low experience. Kagura used twin daggers it was different than the usual shield and sword. Kagura was a weird player… he wouldn't stop making jokes on the spot whenever the situation had something he thought was funny. The map was complete with marked spawn traps and one field boss most likely holding the key. The floor was going to be complete in record time. Kagura and I were walking back when I heard a noise

"Come out" I yelled towards a group of trees. It was silent for a second, but then three players with yellow diamonds above their head appeared.

"Look at this bunch." Kagura said keeping his cool "Zen you handle them I'll give you support." He said pulling out a flute. What the heck? Kagura was a bard! The bard class was the least popular class in all of SAO because the stats they get wouldn't help them survive, but they're still out there and it seemed like Kagura was one of them. He started to play a song that sounded soothing and I felt stronger

"Look guys! They think they can handle the three of us with only the two of them" they all readied their swords. The first two charged me.

I took out my sword in my left and an anitlight bomb in my right. Right before they got to me I smashed my anitlight bomb into the ground and darkness enveloped me and the two pkers ran in. once inside it was pitch black and no way to see anything. I even heard the steps of the pkers stop. I took this moment to put on my goggles. Once they were on everything in this dark space was clear. I saw the enemy, but they didn't see me. I ran, I grabbed one of the pkers and which made a lot of noise. The one not in my arms stabbed at me, but missed instead he stabbed into the pker that I was holding killing the poor player. The player burst into data the moment his health hit zero and I used the moment to cut off the arm of the other. the player killer that was still alive didn't give up he started biting at me in desperation.

"I'm not going to die!" he yelled "I don't want to die! I won't die I can't die!" I felt sorry for the guy. backing up to dodge his strikes I took out a nail and sent it straight into of his forehead. Once the pker burst into data the darkness cleared and was supprised when I saw Kagura he had the enemy pinned down trying to shove his flute down his throat. He had the man begging for his life harder than mine.

Later

After we got back from the forest we had the one player put in jail and for some reason Kagura was still following me

"Zen I have a question…" he said with a serious face which was the first one I've seen for him.

"Shoot."

"You don't have to fight alone… it's not safe… So I want you to join my guild Ventus Regnum." Kagura had just invited me to his guild and it was probably a big guild which I didn't like being around people so I was going to decline.

"It's a start up guild I had just made it today…" he was still serious

"How many people are in it?" I asked my interest peaked.

"Well if you join that will make two." His face was a little worried that I was going to decline when I found out it was small. I started laughing small is too big a word for the guild

"Hay don't laugh! I know it's small, but it's a guild I'm making that will get everyone out of SAO!" once I heard those words… I had no more reason to decline the offer

"I'm in" I replied to his question.

"What? Really? Yes!" he raised his fist in triumph. "Alright Zen let's find some girls to celebrate your joining!" he started walking pulling my collar dragging me along with him.

"No thanks! I don't need any of that! Don't tell me you're a flirt! GAHHHH!"


	8. Chapter 8

**One week later **

I was in our new guild house on floor fifty-five eating breakfast it was a great house with a wooden floor and great furniture when Kagura came in crawling on his stomach.

"Zen!" he reach his hand out in the air towards me "The in town PK got me!" I continued to eat my food with no worry

"There never was an in town PK idiot! Kirito solved that yesterday. I was players faking their deaths with equipment durability and teleport crystals."

"Lies!" Kagura's hand dropped to the floor and his face hit the ground… Hard! He just laid there silently with no movement. This was so dumb…

"If you were killed you would have bursted into data by now Kagura." He still laid there silently with no movement. I finished my breakfast and exited the house.

Today we had a raid party destroy the field bod in no time flat and got the key it took about three hours to kill, but now we were able to beat the boss and move on to a floor that hopefully had better experience mobs. The plan was set and we were going to fight the boss tomorrow it was night so it was better if we waited until everyone had a good rest. I entered my house and first thing I see greeting me was Kagura still on the floor, but something was different. He had a bowl of food in front of him. I decided not to interact with him and go to my room and head straight to sleep. Once I woke up i got ready for the boss fight and went on my way stopping only to get Kagura off the floor. I got him up by pretending to give him a health crystal.

It was time to enter the boss door. We had no information on what the boss was or what was inside the door. It was a complete mystery to us and it was too dangerous to send people in to check it out.

Every front liner that participated in boss fights lined up ready to fight the boss. I was in front with Kagura who was practicing his flute. Heathcliff gave a prep talk and everyone ran in. Once everyone was in… we could already tell that we had trouble. The room was pitch-black with no source of light all except for the center of the room where everyone was at. Everyone gathered at the light and made a circle facing outward we all held out swords outward as well. in the middle was Kagura playing a song that gave our swords a stun effect. I put on my goggles and everything became clear. In front of me a few inches away was the boss. Its name was Glory, ill looked like a man who was mutated into a beetle and a slug showing nothing human but his body and his head. The human stomach was open and had organs spilling out and it had one bar of health. It looked at me ready to strike, but was waiting for me to make a move to ensure it gets a hit.

"Gah!" I heard from right next to me as a player was decapitated. I didn't know how I was going to get my crossbow out in this situation or even get an accurate shot without it killing me. More sounds were heard from the crowd as player after player was brought down. This couldn't keep up are the whole front line would be gone.

"Zen do you trust me?! Kagura yelled far away from me. I didn't know how to answer that. I had just only met him, but I had to take the chance. I swiped my finger down went into my equipment and brought out my crossbow, but as my sword disappeared the boss attacked. A knife attached to flesh came out of the boss's side and went towards me. I could have sworn that was the end of me, but a flute came out of nowhere and blocked the knife

"Bull's eye!" Kagura shouted with victory "Eat that plant thing!" he continued which kind of ruined the moment. I readied my bow and shot towards the boss. The arrow ripped through the sky headed straight towards the boss. The boss would have died, but the boss jumped dodging the arrow.

… crap I started reloading the crossbow, but the boss wasn't going to wait. I felt sorry for some players because I had to leave formation to get to a safe distance. I could have sworn the people by me were going to die when I left formation, but I didn't hear screams. I looked back to see Kagura in my place deflecting the shots made from the boss. After five minutes passed the cool down on my bow refreshed and this time I wasn't going to miss. I ran out of the light into the darkness. The boss screamed and shot many blades at me. I didn't hesitate and ran straight forward. I got a few cuts on my face but I got into position. I aimed the crossbow as big as me at its face and pulled the trigger. The arrow shot through the chin of the boss completely destroying its head reducing its health bar to zero, but for some reason I didn't get the last hit bonus.

"Yes I got the last hit bonus!" Kagura yelled "I got a huge agility stat boost item!"

"What how?!" I yelled at him

He started backing towards the new stairs that lead into the next floor. "I may have threw my knife at just the right time?"

"What! I can' believe you!" I started walking towards him reloading my crossbow

He started backing up faster "Yeah I didn't think it would have worked either. I've never put a single point into my throwing accuracy."

"So the time you told me to trust you was luck to!?" the bow was loaded now

"I'M Outa here!" He said in a real deep voice running towards the stairs now…

…

…

…

He didn't make it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online just the OCs besides Kagura who is owned by RailgunInfinity**

It's been a few months since we defeated the boss floor 55 and living with Kagura has been… interesting… he was far from a regular guy… He jokes way too much, he is hard to take serious, and he flirts with every female thing with a heartbeat. Then again I don't really know how a regular person his age acts so my point is not be very valid. He was basically my best friend and he hung with me nearly twenty-four seven. Besides the Kagura point the front lines had made it to floor 74 and were nearing our second year in SAO. We were almost three-fourths done with the game and everyone's spirits were rising and people were actually starting to believe that we can beat the game. To celebrate Kagura tried to take me out on a blind double date, which ended up not happening… I don't do those things. Kagura was so depressed that he ended up mopping on the table and I mean on the table lying down face down.

"Kill me now…" he mumbled in depression. I took out my sword and pointed it at his head a few inches away

"… My pleasure… just drop the last hit bonus from floor fifty-five and I'll send you on your way…" I stared at him with venom in my breath. He jolted up and backed up three steps

"I didn't mean it! There are still jokes to be told! Still girls to be blessed by my presence! You can't still be mad at me about that! It happened a long time ago!" he cried out in agony.

I walked up to Kagura and raised my sword to the air "Don't worry… you'll be able to tell those jokes where I'm going to send yo-" just then I got a message from Kirito telling me that I didn't have to map the 74th floor and that he had it. Kirito didn't understand that I didn't map because I wanted to… I map because that's how I get most the money to rent out this guild house… I had to map the area before Kirito.

"Kagura come with me we are going." I commanded Kagura as I got my mapping supplies and left the house.

"Does this mean I can keep the item?!" Kagura taunted as he got his flute and daggers and left the house.

Once we got to the dungeon he had to explore another one of the most generic dungeons in all of gaming. A cave dungeon… we began and started fight batches and batches of lizard men. Kagura was playing a strength song the whole time so it didn't take long to kill any of them. we mapped the floor. The dungeon was a cave that was open with deep drops and pillars. The cave was highly simple and the door was easy to find, but the weird part was that someone beat me to the door the first time and it was open. I looked inside to see a group fighting the boss like idiots and the room had a red tint to it canceling teleport crystals. The boss's name was gleam eyes and had a huge human body with goat legs and head. The boss had jewels in his shoulders and arm bands. He was huge and held a big two handed broad sword with one hand. His eyes glowed blue and looked like he was the most deadly boss yet.

I started walking back because they were obviously dead and I would have kept walking if I wasn't stopped by my collar pulling into my throat.

"Zen… we have to help them…" Kagura was serious he looked at me and I saw that he really wanted to help

"Kagura we can't save them there are only two of us and if we go in there is no way out…" I tried pulling away from him.

"No Zen! It is Ventus Regnum's job to save everybody! Now come on!" he pulled me into the room forcefully and there was no way out now "Hay Gloomy Eyes thing! I have a bone to pick with you…" Kagura yelled as he threw his flute at the boss… landing another hit with no points put into the skill…

"If you've ever heard of the Handsome Flirt of the West it's me! I'm the total package!" he yelled and flexed at the same time. The boss turned to Kagura and roared. It took its sword and slashed down. Before the blade connected I blocked for Kagura with the body of my crossbow. This moment seemed very serious but Kagura just started laughing highly obnoxiously.

"Hahahahahahahah!" and he repeated this laugh over and over. It was highly annoying, but when I looked at the boss, he was shivering. Under his life bar he had seven different stat deceases, it was amazing. The boss started attacking again, but now he was moving like a slug I dodged his attacks with ease. I aimed my bow and took a shot at his body. He was slow, but he was still able to move. He managed to use his sword to deflect the arrow. I hated when my arrow missed… this battle was going to be a long one because of the boss knowing how to block arrows and the five minute reload time, but that changed when we got reinforcements. It was Kirito, Asuna and Klein's guild. They got the armies guild to safety and joined the fight.

"Kirito you're a slow mapper never do it for me again!" I yelled at him

"Alright… heh" he shrugged.

It was Kirito, Asuna, Klein's guild, Kagura and I vs a floor boss that would usually take at least thirty plus players to beat. We had our work cut out for us and everyone was scared.

"Can you guys hold him off for me?" Kirito asked the team and of course we had him. Asuna yelled and charged the boss. Next, she jumped into the air and jabbed her blade into him at least twelve times which got the boss really angry. The boss tried to counter, but was still slower than a slug. Those stat decreases were really effective, but the downside was that Kagura's Laughing the whole battle was really annoying. I charged and melee'd the boss with my bow and then as I melee'd him the bow was fully reloaded and I fired a shot taking two bars off. Everyone took turns fighting the boss until Kirito was done and charged. He charged sword in hand, but his other hand was also glowing. As he confronted the boss he pulled out a second sword…

Kagura even interrupted his annoying laugh "Two swords means Double damage! Whatcha going to do now! hahahahah!" he began that annoying laugh again…

Kirito was ripping the boss a new one. He flailed his swords left, right, up down, the bosses life bar was depleting rapidly and Kirito and the boss was having a huge one vs one with Kirito ending up being the winner with the smallest possible health. We had one and the next floor opened and finally Kagura stopped laughing

"Yes we won! Time for a victory laugh!" he began again…

"Kagura…" I mumbled "About that death I promised you!" I yelled with a demon's voice and I pulled out my nails

**To be continued**


	10. Chapter 10

Kirito, Kirito, Kirito always getting into trouble. I thought in the stands of a great coliseum. I didn't want to be here, but…

"WOOO!" yelled a screaming Kagura next to me. Friends like Kagura do these things to you… "Zen you enjoying the blind double date?"

I face palmed "No Kagura I'm not…" I didn't know what he was talking about he was fliting with both of the girls it seemed like they both were on a date with him and I was glad one wasn't on me anyways. The stands were roaring with players ready and waiting to watch a clash between two of the strongest players in SAO Kirito an Heathcliff.

"Girls when the game starts we are going to do the special cheer ok?!" Kagura turned towards the girls talking like he was giving a prep talk.

"Ok!" they said in sync

Two gates opened up on the left and right corners and in each revealed two silhouettes. The one on the left was Kirito and the one on the right was Heathcliff. They walked down the center and exchanged words, the duel was in one strike mode and they game was about to begin. A time in the sky signaled three, two, one, and then it started. Kirito was the one to charge he attacked hitting the shield and when he realized the shield blocked his attack he started flailing at the shield, whacking the shield relentlessly with both swords. After a while Heathcliff countered by charging with his shield and aiming for Kirito's head. Kirito had to back up and Heathcliff went on the offensive. He charged readying his sword, but at the last second he struck with his shield which landed a direct hit, but didn't win him the game because it wasn't his sword. The hit sent Kirito flying backwards and-

"Hahahahahahah!" I heard highly annoying laughs coming from all around me. I looked and Kagura and the two girls were doing his signature laugh over and over

"Stop!" I yelled at them with an angry tone.

"Why!?" one of the girls sighed "it's our special cheer! Kagura made it." they both looked at him and squealed "He's the total package!" … Rescue me someone please…

Kagura blushed from what the girls said and recovered fast by saying "Girls… welcome to the Kagura Nation! Bask in the light!" he yelled loud then continued his laugh.

Well back to the fight… Kirito started charging they exchanged swords numerous of times and sword against shield other times. After a while Kirito started going at the shield again. Kirito finally landed a hit against Heathcliff's cheek, but not one strong enough to win the duel. Kirito saw this as an opening. He charged dozens for sword skills and hit the shield one after another, until the impact launched Heathcliff off balance. Kirito found his opening to win

"Yea Kirito!" I yelled celebrating his victory

He slashed down at his head. But then Heathcliff moved with unreal speed and Kirito fell onto Heath's blade. It was his win… but how… could he be faster than Kirito who got dual blades because he was the fastest in the game…

After the battle Kagura escorted the girls home and I had to think about that match and I kept thinking that Heathcliff cheated somehow… but how?

How would there be in a way to cheat in SAO. Kiaba must have made this game with a lot of flaws. He needs to test his death game before he releases it.

Wait… if where did Kiaba go all these two years of SAO… I started thinking to myself and I realized how Heathcliff cheated… Kiaba…

I asked around town to see where he was headed next and apparently he was going to go out with a party to map.

I grabbed my stuff and left a note to Kagura… today I become a mass

Player Killer.

Flashback

Three years ago… yea that was the time before the accident

I woke up in my bed ready to take the day it was another day of school. I got up and looked at my great room full of posters of the latest anime I've been watching, my computer on a desk by my bed, and my very own bathroom that I could get dressed, brush my teeth for the day I was going to have. I got dressed in casual white t and genes got my backpack and left the house and faced the great day I was going to have.

Little did I know that I wouldn't be returning.


	11. Chapter 11

Flashback

Once I left my house I was greeted by my friend. James he was as old as me thirteen.

"Hello dipwad" he called me like usual. It was a name he started calling me since we were five and it stuck.

"Hello dorklord" I replied and laughed which he followed with laughter. After we talked about what we had done yesterday which was going to the arcade and after we talked we left for school.

* * *

Floor 75 looked like a tower and actually had floors that weren't SAO floors. I was tracking Kiaba and his guild in here which was not hard, but once I was there I had to prepare to kill Kiaba. I had my blacksmith make a charged anitlight bomb which will cover almost this whole dungeon. I equipped my cloak I pulled the pin and threw it out

* * *

Flashback

James and I made it to school. Once inside we got thought the white halls into our classroom 2A. Once there the teacher came to the board and started his lesson. After he was finish we went to the next class and we continued this loop all day until math… we had a teacher that was a real jerk so James and I pull pranks on him a lot. We got to math class early and set up pranks and I mean pranks… not a prank. Once class begun the teacher came into the classroom and the first thing to greet him was a bucket. He didn't react well to the bucket as he fell forward and grabbed a chair covered in needles. The needles went into his hand and he flinched forward nocking his head into his desk and fainting. Everyone started to panic as three teachers came in and asked who did this… everyone's fingers were pointed at us.

* * *

The area was filled with darkness and panic. I put on my goggles and went in with my bow. I went into a ballroom. I grabbed the first knight threw him on the ground, charged a bow skill and smashed his head.

"AHHHHH"

* * *

Flashback

"You ingrate!" James father said throwing him into the wall "I gave you a great life and this is how you repay me!?" He grabbed his son by the collar. He didn't notice that I was still at the school and thought he was alone with his son.

"Sorry." James mumbled. He was then thrown to the ground

"You were thrown out of school! Sorry isn't going to get you back in! Do you know how much of a disgrace you are to me and your mother!?" he kicked his son in the stomach sending him against the wall "Don't bother coming home today…" his father left the school ground.

* * *

My curser turned yellow and I continued to the next guy looking out for something dangerous. This guy was near a friend I turned on my goggles which its new upgrade on the last level gave it the ability to glow red. I grabbed one of the knights by the neck and this alerted the other. the cloak and the goggles made me look like some type of monster. The guy screamed in horror and ran at me and started stabbing with his spear as he ran. I put the knight I was holding in the way of the spear and the spear went through like butter. Once the guy burst into data I punched through the data grabbing the guys face. His curser turned yellow because he had just killed his friend and his face showed pure horror. I tightened my grip and his head burst into data in my hand.

* * *

Flashback

"James you ok?" I went to his side

"No!" he yelled with tears in his voice "I'm not ok!"

"Come on. Let me help you out." I put my hand out to help him up. My hand was swated away and he looked at me angrily

"I don't need your help! Get out of here!

* * *

Three down, three more to go… I ran to one swept his legs and stomped on his face he bursted before I was able to shot him. The last two heard my stomp and ran in my direction. I swapped to my sword and nails and threw two of them into one of the knights eyes killing him I ran up to the last night who was now cowering.

* * *

Flashback

I got a text from on James and I was on my bike back to school. As the school got in view sure enough on the roof was James outside of the gate.

* * *

As the last man burst into data the darkness cleared. Only me and Heathcliff (Kiaba) left

"Zen!? What is the meaning of th~"

"Shut up Kiaba!" I yelled at him and turned towards him and switched to my bow. As I walked to him I had my huge bow in my left hand resting on my shoulder, in my right were three anitlight bombs between individual fingers.

"So you found out…" Kiaba sighed "and I had hoped you would make it to the last floor with the others Wielder of the bow Zen Karafuta with the most accuracy in the game!" he said as he brought out his sword and shield. I charged him and threw my cape off to increase speed. I charged a throwing skill and threw the anitlight bombs. To win this I have to beat a cheater,

Kiaba blocked the anitlight bombs with his shield and they exploded on impact. I jumped in as swung down with my bow. My bow was met with his shield and when I looked at Kiaba's health bar underneath the life was a new buff… night vision. He pushed my shield away and went on the offensive. He slashed down at me and I blocked with my bow. After I blocked, I jumped to the right charging an arrow, I ran and smashed my bow into his shield. My bow was strong enough to break through the darn thing with a fully charged skill, but it would have strong kickback. I shot, but as I did just like in Kirito's fight he moved in the blink of the eye. He stabbed forward but the knockback on my bow saved me.

"It seems that item has saved you again Zen. I knew from the first moment I killed off Lexi that you were going to be the one to wield it! Yea that's right that was on purpose. Haven't you ever noticed when you went back to that spot there was no longer a monster spawn trap and that the lizards in on that floor shouldn't have poison!" He was striking the wrong emotions

"BASTARD!" I ran at him and pointed my bow towards his stomach and shot.

"This again?" he complained. He moved in the speed this time, He slashed down before the kick back this time, but I hadn't fully pulled the trigger yet. I jumped right dodging the sword and launched the bow and it went soring into his stomach

* * *

Flashback

I made it to the roof and James was on the opposite side of the gate about to jump

"Don't do it" I yelled

"I told you not to come in the text…" James got off the edge and walked up to me "Why don't you listen to me!" he punched me in the face

"What the heck!" I yelled and punched him back. we got into a fight. The fight dragged on like a middle school fights do and ended up with me pinned to a gate.

"Why didn't you stick up for me when my father was beating me?!" James was in tears "Why!" he pushed and the gate collapsed we both fell and everything went black.

* * *

The blow took him down to yellow life and screens appeared all around him that said immortal object.

"But, how?" I questioned. With that he had broken me. I fell to my knees

"Good effort player… you may be the best in all of SAO, but it ends here…" Kiaba opened up a menu "for doing so well I'll let you live, but for failing… you won't be able fulfill your promise and complete the game." What did he mean? He opened a new menu and said these life changing words.

…

…

…

"Forced logout, and account delete… account Zen Karafuta"

…

…

…

Everything went black

* * *

Flashback

"When I awoke from the darkness of my sleep"

"When I awoke from the darkness of my sleep"

* * *

**Both past and present**

**I was in a hospital bed with white walls, and white floor, it was a cage**

* * *

Present

I was in my hospital bed again.

"No!" I said screaming my lungs out. I looked down and the button to turn on the game again was right by my hand.

Move! Move! Dimmit! Move!

"Move!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. And as I did my fingers twitched. I felt an extreme pain in my fingers and then I was able to move them again. I could move nothing, but my fingers. I moved my arm by dragging it with my fingers. I was going to go back into the game, create a new account and KILL KIABA! My hand made it near the button, but before I could push it…

The doctors busted in through the doors and started wrestling the headset off of me

"No! I need to go back!" I yelled, but no one listened. All I heard from them was

"Get this thing off of him." eventually they got it off of me and gave me a shot to fall asleep.

* * *

Flashback

It's been a week since the accident and I have given up hope on life and was waiting for someone to kill me already. The doctor said it would be a miracle if I ever moved my arms again and moving my legs was physically imposable now. My life was over… but then the door opened and a man came in

"Hello Zen." The man greeted "I'm sorry for what my grandson did." I looked at him with a look of brokenness. "To say sorry I wanted to tell you that I work for a company and I can ring you to a world that can change your life for the better. I still stared brokenly… change for the better how. "I am in the process of making a game that I want you to bata call Sword art Online" He set a headset and game on my lap "here you can try it and if you don't like it, you don't have to play." He started walking out the door.

"What's your name Sir?" I asked the man. He turned to me and had a smile on his face

"I know you'll enjoy the game. My name is Akihiko Kiaba" the man bowed

"Akihiko Kiaba." I repeated the man smiled and started leaving

"See you soon in your true world Zen Karafuta"


	12. Chapter 12

I was in hospital bed I was free for a good two years, but now I was back in this cage… it has been three days since I made It back to my cage and just like before time didn't want to move when I was watching it. My sister had just visited and after rediscovering my voice in this world it became an activity to pass time. I've become more vocal with the doctors. They had the great idea to test a project on me were a high school student can sign up and try to become friends with me. Two have already tried, but like I would become friends with those people. I was doing the usual which was having a stare down with time until a girl wondered into my room. She wore a red jacket with a black under shirt and she wore black shorts.

"Hello" she said a bit timid. Now the doctors brought in a shy girl to try and make friends?

She looked in the room and blushed "Sorry! Wrong room! She quickly slammed the door behind her and that was the last I saw of her… until later that day.

She came back in the room full and shut the door behind her

"Sorry for earlier" she bowed and looked down not daring to look at the state of me

"It's ok" I laughed I was use to this look from people by now. "It kinda brightened up my day. I can't do much, but stare at a wall anyways."

"Oh" she started to look like she felt sorry for me

"Don't worry this happened to me a long time ago. I'm used to it now" I lied and smiled my fake smile

"But still that must be a big deal." I walked up to me "You probably don't want to think about it so I will talk to you until you forget." She sat on the side of my bed "Let me tell you about my day" she began talking and after a while I started getting into it, laughing, replying and telling my own old middle school stories. The day ended up going by fast and turned to night. When it did she got off my bed laughing

"So that really happened to you and this James?" she covered her mouth while she laughed

"Yea you should have seen the teacher's face" I laughed

"Well I have to go…?" she was waiting for me to say my name

"Zen" I introduced myself to her

"Suguha… Suguha Kirigaya" she introduced herself to me.

"So who did you come here to see?" I asked her a question

"I came here to see my brother Kazuto." She looked down "He's in the room next to yours."

"I'm sorry I hope he gets better." I told her softly

"Thanks… I better get going now." she said as she left the room. and as she left I saw a game in her back pocket… I wondered what it was

Later that night my sister came back and had a certain headset.

"Zen I have a gift for you." she held out the headset

"I'm not allowed to play this" I told her

"You're not allowed to play SAO, but look at this" she brought out a game from her bag and it read Alfhiem Online. The game cover looked like SAOs and looked promising. My sister was already exited to put it on me "Let's start it up!" she put it on my head and laid me back and then I said the words

**"Link Start!"**

I was brought into a world completely filled with white and then setting of various rules popped out that was similar to SAOs but then the worlds Sign in appeared…

I put the name Zeak Karafuta to have a little change for now. Afterwards a circle of people with long pointy ears and wings of varying colors popped up and words appeared before me that read select race. I looked through them and selected Undine which looked like the coolest to me. Afterwards I dropped into the world. Once I hit the ground I was in the starting town with players of all kind playing around me. It was exciting they even had a program where I can feel what I touch. I pulled up my menu which was exactly like SAO. I only had one set of equipment. The training set which had all the lowest rated stat equipment. I had to change this fast I quickly ran outside the dungeon and grinded on the starting mobs of the game which strangely was boars too. Once I grinded on the mobs until I got to level five and then left the area for a deeper area. The way to fight in the game has changed from SAO you could no longer charge skills and had to rely on you own technique with a sword and as I was grinding I saw that there was spells and magic in this game. I finally got to another area with new mobs that actually gave experience. I also found two player that had red wings and not blue. One was female with a cloak on so all I could see were black bangs, but she had a big broad sword on her back. The other guy just wore red armor had spiked hair and wielded a regular sword and he was the one to notice me.

"Hay you there!" I looked at me "you better give me all you have or I'll kill you!" he walked up to me and pointed his sword at me

I looked at him with a death stare. "I hate trashing like you" I pulled out my sword and cut is arm off in one motion. As the arm holding the sword fell I take my blade and cut his body diagonally. His body burst into flames and a screen appeared before me showing that I got all the equipment he was holding, which was a grade higher than mine, but when I equipped the armor it turned blue and it gave me the gold he was holding and enough exp to level up to 6.

"Hay you there" I spoke with seriousness in my voice "Are you trash too?" I asked the girl in the cloak.

She faced me and slowly grabbed her cloak tossing it off. Revealing long shining black hair that reached down to her back, she had a white chest plate with connected strap lacing that went down until her waist in an x pattern. She had red dragon scaled gauntlets with matching dragon scale leggings. She pulled off her sword and as it touched the ground it left a small crater…

She looked at me and said "Did you just call me trash?"


	13. Chapter 13

"Did you just call me trash" she said with anger in her voice. She readied her blade

"Depends are you trash?" I readied my blade and she charged once she got in range she brought down her sword to attack with both hands. I laid my sword horizontally. And blocked with both hands. The impact made the ground under us shake so much that rocks were bouncing like crazy.

"Wow you have a lot of power on your side, but I think that's all" I was trying to get her really mad

She jumped and used her wings to fly!? I didn't not notice you could actually fly with these

"You can go to Hell!" she yelled as she came back down smashing my sword. My new sword snapped in two and she took one of my arms with it.

"AH!" I yelled in a bit of pain. I got out the first sword of the game and held my ground

She came at me again swiping horizontally. I jumped landing on the blade. In this position I used the new sword to take vengeance and take one of her arms. After I got her arm she let go of her sword grabbed me by the leg and threw me on the ground, but before she did I threw my sword in the air. She regrabbed her sword and I grabbed her legs with my legs and tripped her. Finally she used her sword to chop my last arm off and before she killed me my sword fell from the air and chopped her last arm off.

With no arms the battle couldn't continue. It was a draw. She looked at me and I looked at her. I laughed, but she blushed and I knew then that I made myself a hot headed friend


	14. Chapter 14

After the fight Serenity she said her name was, healed up with a potion in which I did the same. The whole time she didn't talk. We killed mobs together which is where I found out that she was level twenty-five… On the game's release day… yea she probably has no life outside of videogames. She was silent and carried herself timidly I was wondering where the hot headed side went. I turned to her. There was also one question that was killing me on the inside.

"Serenity… how do you fly in alfhiem?" hearing the question Serenity looked at me with a disappointed look in her eyes "do you really not know how to fly?" she said almost condescendingly

There it is again… "Yes I do know how to fly" I repeated sarcastically. She grabbed my collar and puleed me to her a bit

"Are you getting sarcastic with me" She said in an angry tone. As she pulled me closer I noticed something I didn't notice in my fight with her. When she gets mad the tips of her hair start blazing and turn red. Wow I must have been too deep in the battle to notice.

"No I'm not I don't want to lose my arms again and I'm pretty sure you don't either" I motioned her to please stop. She set me down thankfully. I only had one sword left and I didn't want it to break. She put me down and explained

"It's simple so listen up. Just imagine like you had limbs on your back that you could move and that's all I'm going to tell you find out the rest by yourself." After explained she put on her cloak "I'm going back to my village so I can log off. Bye" and she disappeared into the forest.

That player was certainly hot headed, but something about her came off timid… well if Kagura was here I know what he would say. He would probably say awkward in a way that only Kagura can. I wonder how they're doing in there… I was depressing myself and I had to stop. I had to try to fly. I imagined limbs on my back and my wings extended. I thought about going up and then slowly, but surely I lifted into the air. I got five feet, then ten feet then twenty feet and then I started moving forward. This was a bit harder and I didn't get it at first I shot myself forward like a bullet and the zoomed in an arc up, by the time I got the hang of my speed it was too late and I ran into a certain someone. Serenity to be precise…

"The Hell!" she yelled as her hair went ablaze. In anger she raised her sword and struck down at me. I jumped back to dodge. I tripped and landed the on my back. the blade landed in between my legs on the ground, just short of hitting me.

"Die!" she yelled as she swung her blade five more times. I leaped back each strike not being able to get up and on the last dodge she pinned me up against a tree

"Nowhere to run now!" she raised her blade into the air. I swore she was going to give me my first death in Alfhiem, but luckily a girl from the green nation came out of the forest ahead being chased from six people from the gray.

"Help!" she yelled she was level 3 so she was still new so I was going to help but…

"Don't you see we are in the middle of something?!" Serenity yelled as she turned to the Sprigan I think they were called. The Silph girl ran behind Serenity and next to me. The girl that was next to me had blond hair in a ponytail and a green armor and wings. She wielded a sword and held it like she had real life. A name floated above her health bar that read Leafa.

"Come at me!" Serenity said starting the battle. Three Sprigan ran at her and went in directions to trap her in. Once they were all around her they stopped and all started to chant. They were casting some sort of magic. Serenity ran for the one in front of her and raised her claymore in the air with one arm. The Sprigan put is sword horizontally in the air to meet hers, but Serenity cut her attack short and aimed for his leg. Not only cutting through the right leg, but making it seem like there was no resistance from his bones. The blade went clean through. Without a leg the guy lost balance and started falling. Serenity used her free hand to punch the guy into the ground. They guy burst into flames and she looked at her next two targets. The Sprigan finished their chant and gusts of wind started blowing and started cutting at Serenity's skin. She ran through the gust and cut one of the Sprigan's heads off which she lit on fire and threw to kill the other. She had killed three and there was three left to go. The remaining three Sprigan looked at each other and I noticed one had a hood and better armor on. He was most likely the leader. Once they were done the leader pointed at Serenity and the two others ran after her. Serenity see the threat of the two fairies started to chant. When she was chanting she put her blade facing her back down towards the ground on the left side like a samurai. The two Sprigan jumped into the air, but before they could even leave the ground Serenity slashed her blade towards the right. This slash was so fast that you couldn't even see her cut through the enemies. As the blade went through and the game was able to register it the Sprigan burst into flames. Serenity was still chanting. The last Sprigan was now cowering. He started backing up slowly as Serenity walked towards him faster than he walked back. He was paralyzed from fear. Once face to face Serenity changed her sword from front hand to back hand. She held the sword up and the fairy stumbled backward. She slashed down, but not hitting the Sprigan but the back of his coat forcing his head to violently hit the ground also forcing him to lay down.

She finished her chanting and looked at the man with anger. "I said… don't you see we are in the middle of something… Die scum!" and as she said that a pillar of flames enveloped her and the poor fairy. Nothing could be heard but the blazing flames and the violent screams of the fairy as his skin was ripped from him until he burst into flames. It was so cool

"Oh yea that was awesome!" I yelled in awe. I ran up to her and called her name "Serenity!" she turned towards me "Can we be friends?… that was awesome!" I yelled with glee

She looked a bit shy, but then regained her composure "Fine… but don't get in my way!"

"Alright! Welcome to Ventus Regnum!"

"What's that?" she questioned

"I'll tell you later… just promise me you want laugh highly obnoxiously…"


	15. Chapter 15

After I got Serenity's friend approval I went the other girl Leafa who was still here.

"Thank you…" she seemed kind of sad as she said that. She was sitting by the tree that I was pinned to just a few minutes ago

"You shouldn't be thanking me. I wasn't the one who saved you." I told her as I helped her to her feet "So are you new to the VMMO thing?" I asked her even though I knew she was already.

"Yes" She said shyly "I can't see why people love them so much…" she looked at me looking for an answer.

"Well… I would say that it's a place where people can play with friends, make memories and be free." I told her with a smile on my face "A stupid idiot with a big mouth, and an obnoxious laugh taught me that. I use to just use VMMOs to escape reality, but now I do it to be with people."

She still had a sad look on her face. "I don't have friends that I can make memories with… at least not on here." She was really looking for something in VMMOs I knew they weren't for everyone, but she was really looking for that reason why people get hooked on them. I opened up my menu and sent her a friend request.

"Here… I'd be happy to make memories with you sometime."

"Ok…" she accepted. I was about to go on an adventure with her, but then I saw the time which reed 2:00 AM and realized that I had to get to an in fast and log out

"Sorry Leafa, but I have to go" I expanded my wings and started to fly

"Wait!" she yelled to which I stopped. "How do you do that?" She asked about my flying and pointed to my wings

"Just pretend that you have limbs on your back that you can move" I demonstrated by going on to the ground and flying back up to where I was and after she followed. She was a natural

"Good job! Now try moving forward." I started moving forward going on ahead, but as I was moving she zoomed past me in a sec

"Come on slow poke!" she yelled from way ahead. I speed up and matched her speed

"Me a slow poke?" I speed up and pass her. She speeds up to past me and visa versa for a long time until we reach town.

"I won!" she yelled in victory and then blushed "thanks for teaching me…" she said as I walked behind her

"No problem…" I shrugged "Just don't expect to win next time." She laughed

"Well We'll have to see when the time comes." Afterwards she spaced out to look at the time and came back "Well I have to log out." She looked disappointed "Will I see you tomorrow Zeak?"

I was about to correct her and say Zen, but then I remembered that that was my gamer tag now.

"Yeah I'll be on at 7:00 in the evening tomorrow" I answered the question.

"Alright I'll see you then" After the conversation ended we went to the Inns in our territories and logged out.

Once I logged out I called the night nurses to come get the headgear off me and then I went to bed dreaming of the awesome adventures that I could have with my new friends.

When I woke up it was the usual get fed breakfast. After breakfast I had a nurse come into my room and help me memorize spells for ALO the new name people call Alfhiem. I had a lot of time to spare so I got a lot of spells by heart and I noticed that there was so much untapped potential for Undines. At 12:00 I was fed lunch and I had a meeting with someone that wanted to try to become friends with me today. The meeting was at one o clock and when it hit the door open. I wondered what this one would be like…

As the door opened I saw a familiar face can into the room

"Suguha!" I greeted in surprise "What are you doing here!" I was happy to see her. She came into the room and sat on the side of my bed

"Hi Zen!" she greeted "I saw an ad at my school with your face and I thought it would be nice to see you every day. Plus it gives me an excuse to see Kazuto when I'm done." She laughed which was followed by mine. After we talked for a good while I said something to her that probably surprised her

"So I better you're wondering how I got into this state. I can see it all over your face." I looked at her a bit serious

"No." she was trying to be polite "I am interested, but I don't want you to share things you don't want to." She said with concern in her voice

"No… I want to tell you if you're going to be here every day." And with that I began the story. I told her and then she told me why her brother was in the other room so we could be even.

Afterwards was an awkward silence which was annoying. I was here with a new friend and accidently created an awkward moment. I finally thought of a joke Kagura told me during all the time I've been with him and it broke through. The conversation started up again until 5:00 where she left urgently to see her brother and make it home for something important which was good. I was now able to get onto ALO and meet up with my new friend Leafa.

"Hello Leafa" I greeted the green fairy

"Hello Zeak. I had such an interesting day today." I noticed that my new friend was about to talk about her IRL life. I stepped in. I didn't want her to find out that I was in an hospital bed and start treating me like a handicap.

"Try not to talk about your real life in an MMO. Some people come here to escape that. Ok?" I told her

"Alright" She stopped her story

"Don't worry" I took her hand and flew up into the air "We'll make many memories here."

"Ok hehe" she laughed and then we began our adventure.


	16. Chapter 16

One Week later

Serenity, Leafa, her friend Recon and I signed up for a 4v4 pvp tournament and the winner of it gets a legendary max level broad sword called Yatagarasu. Serenity practically forces us into the tournament because the tournament wasn't going to happen again and the item was a one of a kind legendary. We had really good chances I was level 24 Leafa was 21 Recon was 16, but Serenity was 42. Serenity was the in the top ten for highest level in the game only outmatched by the leaders of each race. Levels didn't mean much in ALO, but still they gave a few stats and they give you the power to wield stronger equipment. The first battle began and it was versus the Sprigan that were chasing Leafa the first day. As soon as they saw Serenity they forfeited the match. The second match another team that Serenity's met before… I swear we got four games of the seven round tourney by just having Serenity who is probably the scariest person in ALO when angry. On the fifth round we fought against a bunch of Salamander. One for me one for Leafa one for Serenity and another for me.

I was vs two salamander because recon died really early. He didn't know how to fight correctly yet. The two Salamanders charged me. One had a spear and one was hiding his weapon. The First charged me and slashed down. I sidestepped him easily, but that's when the second revealed his weapon. A small crossbow… why didn't anyone tell me these were in the game… Time to get serious. I slashed the arrow the bow shot in half as it flew towards me. I ran and the beheaded the one with the crossbow. Once I got the crossbow It had a passive that reloaded itself in a matter of a second… this was going to be fun. I used the cross bow to shot the second Salamander and turned to shot the one Leafa was fighting and the shot the one from across the coliseum and killed Serenity's opponent. The round was ours and I had to give the bow back to the Salamander sadly.

The sixth match started and we were vs my follow Undine brothers. It was over quick

The last match was weird… it was vs a Gnome (the yellow fairies), and three sylph. The Gnome was female had brown hair with long pigtails that reached her back. Her eye color was red, but she wore glasses and she wore light yellow armor. The two sylphs though didn't stick out at all. The gnome had a weapon, but she was hiding it.

"Leave the Gnome to me." Serenity said taking her sword off her back.

The battle began and Serenity charged. She took her sword and slashed horizontally. The Gnome girl didn't dodge. She blocked with her now revealed weapon a chakram. The device was a circular weapon and was a weapon that was not preferred for it's hard to use and less reward nature. Serenity was stopped and then I noticed something. The girl was chanting. A pillar of earth shot out of the ground with a fist carved at the end hitting Serenity in the stomach sending her to her back five feet away.

"I could have killed you there." The Gnome girl said in a smart mouth tone.

"Don't…" Serenity got to her feet "Don't underestimate me!" she yelled as the tips of her hair went ablaze. Serenity charged again raised her sword and was swallowed by a pillar of flame. She screeched in pain.

"Sorry to busy underestimating you…" she said as the flames turned blue then froze on spot. Serenity was now frozen in a pillar of ice and this battle was going south. I ran to Serenity and used my magic to cure her. This girl was strong she hasn't moved one step since the battle had started. I lifted my sword and my sword was put back down by a hand.

"She's mine!" Serenity yelled with anger. She ran at her again

"This again?" the girl said as she started chanting.

As Serenity ran a pillar of flame appeared under her, but this time she sidestepped.

"I have you! You little bustard!" She swung her sword, but this time the Gnome didn't even bother blocking with the chakram. Before the attack connected the Gnome mumbled

"Black box." and Darkness completely covered Serenity in the shape of a box. "Burn." She said in a calm matter as the black box with up in dark flames. This battle went from bad to worse really fast. I heard Serenity screaming and I couldn't just let her suffer. I ran at the Gnome and just like before a pillar of flame was under me about to go off. I jumped away and instead of going for the Gnome I went for the black box. I used my sword to cut straight though it without hurting Serenity. The box bursted and Serenity dropped to the floor all covered in digital burns. I went to her side and picked her up

"You idiot I calmly say to her." I chant healing magic and get her to half health. "Serenity it's obvious that neither of us can take her 1v1 right now. we need to team up and I'm not going to take no for an answer." I sad firmly to let her know I mean it. I wasn't going to see her burnt or freeze again.

"Ok…" She said a bit shyly, but her hair was still blazing so I knew she was still raring to go.

I stood up and asked Serenity a question. She answered and then we had a plan to beat this girl. I ran at her. She was going a bit harder know there was four columns of flame that I had to pass. I jumped dodging the first one by passing it before it went off. I weaved left then right. Once I got through I jumped into the air sword ready to cut down.

"Black box" the gnome whispered the box came out, but I wasn't attacking her. She were she had predicted I'd be wasn't right. I had jumped to the right and then I cut forward. She blocked with her Chakram.

"Got ya know!" Serenity said as she came out of the air slashing down.

A wall of ice appeared blocking Serenity's strike "Not good eno~"

"Good ice magic" I interrupted the Gnome "You know how to delay a spell like me! Ice Coat!" a coat of ice grew around me skewering the Gnome putting at least a hundred holes in her, but that wasn't enough the needles retracted and retracted putting more and more holes into her body Serenity moved out of the way as I grabbed my opponent and extended the ice coat to my arms and hands completely filling her with holes until she burst into flames. The battle was over because during that time Leafa and Recon took care of the three sylphs and we had won. Serenity got her legendary item. It was a steel blade that had symbols on it had when she was holding it it ignited with flames. Flames that I don't ever want to get burned by… it was then when I got a friend request from a familiar face. A Gnome girl named Milla


	17. Chapter 17

It was morning, I was in bed, and I was about to be visited by my friend Sugu in an hour. I was now trying something I haven't done since I got out of SAO. I started trying to move again. I tried moving my fingers and until I had an intense pain they didn't start moving, but after the pain I was able to move them again. I wished I could move my arms, but at the time it was too hard to get them an inch. I stretched my fingers for a good while until Suguha came into the run. That's when I gave my now sore fingers a rest.

"Hello Zen." She said as she came into the room

"Hi did you just come from Kazuto's room?" I asked and smiled as she came in 

"Yea… it's almost been two years since he went in…" She said depressed

"Don't worry." I assured her "He'll make it out, I know it." she came down and sat on her usual spot

"Thank you." She smiled "I needed that" she then gave me a quick hug.

"So about your Kendo tournament yesterday?" we started to talk until it hit 5:00 like usual and then she headed out the door

"Don't worry I made it out of SAO and if a handicap like me got out. I have no doubt in my mind that he will get out." I told her before she left, but as I did she was surprised at what I said.

"You were in SAO?" she asked me

"Yea" she closed the door and sat back down on my bed

"Please tell me about it." I pleaded. I've never seen Sugu like this the three weeks I've been with her

"I thought you had to go somewhere afterwards like you always do?" I told her worried that she'd be late

"I can be late. Please tell me." so I told her about all my adventures in SAO all except for Lexi that was something I didn't want to talk about. She asked questions, she laughed when I told her about Kagura and when I finished.

"So you never met my brother Kazuto?" she asked as I finished my story four hours later "I can never know… not many people use their real names as their gamer tag"

"I see" she stood up. "Thanks for telling me this." She hugged me and then left the room. I had plans to play with Leafa, but it was way too late now. We usually met at 7:00, but now it was around 10:00. She probably went adventuring without me. I will just go to sleep tonight and start early tomorrow…

"Nah" I said as I called the nurse into my room and went into the game.

In the game I woke up in the inn that I was staying at, equipped my armor and left the inn. First things first I was saving up for a crossbow for a long time and now it was time for me to get one. I went to the market and bought the best bow from the NPC there. The bow had special enchantments on it that made the arrows sore through water. After I got the bow I looked who was online on my friends list. Milla and Serenity was online so I decided to play with them we made a place to meet up and then left. Milla was the mage Gnome that gave us a beating. Over time she became a good addition to Ventus Regnum. We were going to travel within Salamander territory. We were exploring a Volcano fighting mobs until there was special announcement that went up on everyone's screens in all of ALO

Important news announcement

SAO has been complete.


	18. Chapter 18

It has been a week since SAO has been complete and everyone was now leaving the hospital. Sugu had no more excuse to see me because Kazuto was no longer next door to me. I was depressed the whole day and now I was in ALO defeating mobs with Serenity and Milla. We were mass killing mobs just leveling. It was harder now because PvP was now encouraged. The races were now put against each other to be the first to reach the top of a tower that has appeared in middle of ALO. There was a boost in gold and experience when you killed someone. When the race leader dies from an opponent, the killer's race is allowed to pillage and steal in the towns that the race leader belongs to. We run into parties of 10+ players. It was annoying to PvP and was more dangerous than killing mobs.

"Get the leader and they'll lose all their coordination!" Milla shouted orders as our new strategist. I took my crossbow and aimed at the one that was obviously the leader and shot. The arrow sored through the air but the arrow stopped at an inch before his face because it was blocked by a burning claymore. After the burning claymore stopped my arrow it went down on the leaders head.

"That's for stealing my kill at the coliseum!" Serenity said as she stole my kill. After the leader was down just like Milla said his forces crumbled and we got a load of equipment. The game was exciting and all, but nowhere near getting my mind off me not ever seeing Sugu again.

"Now back to the boss." Milla stated as she entered a boss room. Serenity followed and I was last to go in the door. The boss was a giant moth with red wings and a white base. When it flapped its wings it spread flames for the tips of the wings were coated with fire and had a burn effect on them. The rooms the boss was in looked like a red hive and had baby versions of the moth were coming out of the wall. The dungeon we were in was a new dungeon for an event and was said to be so hard that no one has completed it yet and we planned to be the first… Leafa was supposed to be here and she was not. We hadn't engaged the boss yet. Milla was looking at the situation and was giving us a plan. Our plan was to kill of the small ones then kill the boss. There were ten small ones and the big boss.

Once we had our plan we engaged the boss by attacking. Once we did our plan went down the toilet. Once the fight started the walls burst open with hundreds of baby moths. The moths were numerous we attacked and killed many, but the moths just kept on coming. Milla summoned a vortex to win to smashed groups of moths. Serenity destroyed the moths with her sub claymore because her main one just strengthened them and I was sitting their… killing one moth… an arrow… I should bring a sword next time. The moth's passive damage was too much and we were brought down to low. We were about to die, but before the boss moth could finish us off.

"Hay you!" a mysterious voice rang throughout the air, but no one was in the room besides Serenity, Milla and I.

The boss continued his attack. There was a huge fire ball that formed above the bosses head and it roared signaling that it was going to attack. I could see why this dungeon hasn't been complete.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Kaaaaaaaaaaguuuuuraaaaaaaa Kick!" a voice yelled as there was a blur through the air. The blur hit the boss and the boss stammered backwards in pain as Kagura's foot was in its face and attached to it was Kagura.

Kagura jumped off the boss and landed near me.

"You don't seem to know who I am Flamy thing." he pointed at the boss giving it a ridiculous name "I am the feared bard of the west! I have babes in every city to the east! I am Kagura!" he pulled out I diamond and summoned a guide pixie.

"Hello master I'm ready for WAAH!" Kagura grabs the pixie

"Do something!" he throws the pixie at the boss.

"Kagura!" I yelled as I hugged him

"Yeah that bastard keeps leaving me behind a new voice came out from where Kagura came from." A man walked out from where the voice came from. This man wore a cloak and had his hands in his pocket on the cloak he had a hood that covered his head. As he walked up to me he pulled off his hood showing short straight black hair that went down to his shoulders his wings were yellow and he had cat ears. He was a Catsi, a beast tamer I noticed as a fox followed from behind him.

"I left you because you were as slow as ever! Zexion!" Kagura yelled

"Well when you go magically flying in the air and shoot in a direction ninety miles a minute. How can I keep up with that!" he yelled back at Kagura!

"Guys boss!" Milla said to which every finally focused on and defeated.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO just my OC and Milla. Kagura Serenity and Zexion belong to RailgunInfinity**

After the boss was defeated we got exp that made the whole day worthwhile. Kagura seemed to have retained his level from SAO so he was higher than even Serenity. Kagura was a sight for sore eyes. I missed him so much

"Time for the victory laugh! Hahahahahah!" He continued to laugh

Never mind... Not so much I was about to shut my ears, but his laugh stopped and instead I heard a yelp

"Stop that! It's annoying!" Zexion knocked him over onto his butt. Kagura on his butt just sat there staring in awe. He recollected himself

"Fair maiden! Love me! The Kagura nation awaits!" Kagura was on one knee holding Serenity's hand "Do not worry you knight Kagura and total package I must say." (The tips of Serenity's hair starts blazing) "I promise that I will protec~"

Serenity brought out her signature claymore and Swung down on Kagura's hand taking it off

"Aah! She's hot!... Literally." Kagura was still on his knee and grabbed Serenity's hand that wasn't holding the claymore with his last hand. "I don't care if you are a tempered one my hot tamale!"

"I am not tempered!" Serenity yelled as she cut of his other hand

Kagura was still on his knees. "Yes my hot tamale I looov~" Kagura's head was the next thing chopped off to which he burst into a blue flame.

"Go to hell!" serenity yelled at the blue flame.

Thirty minutes and two Kagura revives later Milla had enough fun and put a mute spell on Kagura.

"That was interesting!" Milla busted out laughing. She recollected herself "well guys. I have to go and read a book for school." Milla logged out.

Zexion who seemed very quite throughout all of this said "I'm going to" and then logged out.

"How about you Serenity?" I asked

She was done being angry and was back to her timid self "I don't have to go." She said as she readied her equipment

"Hm hmmm hm hmmm hm hm hm hmm" Kagura mumbled through the mute which sounded like a "I just got here so I'm not going"

I laughed Kagura seemed to always make things better. Once we went to town and put the money we got into the bank which is a way to not lose all your money when you die pvp, I bought new arrows and a sword and we were off towards Sylph territory to see if they had any quests that gave us any experience.

The way to sylph territory was covered in forests unlike the volcanos of the salamander's territory. The mobs were mostly beasts while the volcano mobs were mainly lizards. Beasts and birds aren't very hard because their some of the first mobs a player comes up against in the game. The patterns the same just the damage is different. So we were able to get through the forest with ease. As we were passing through the air of the forest something ahead was flying towards us. It was black and ran straight into Serenity.

It was a Sprigan with spiked black hair

"Wait! Kirito!" I knew that voice it was Leafa. The Sprigan that just ran into Serenity was Kirito? What the heck?

"What the hell!" Serenity said as the tips of her hair started to lite up in a blaze. She pulled out her claymore and started attacking Kirito.

"woah" Kirito pulled out a claymore that he held in one hand and blocked "Sorry I ran into you, I just started today."

Serenity backed off but her hair was still in a blaze. Kirito didn't recognize me yet because I was undine and had blue hair. He looked at everyone and said "Hay is that Kagura the front line mascot!?" he pointed to Kagura

"Mas…cot…?!" the tips of Kagura's hair went ablaze as he pulled out his new weapon, his gauntlets. Both Kagura's and Serenity's hair were ablaze and their target in common was Kirito. Kagura looked at Serenity "Let's kill him hot tamale…"

Serenity beheaded Kagura and he burst into flames. "Don't call me that!" I started healing Kagura and Serenity chased Kirito into the forest were a battle began

**Later**

Kirito and I were sitting on a log in the forest as everyone else had logged off except for Leafa who was trying to find an inn for Kirito and herself. They were going to go to the world tree.

"So Kirito you managed to beat SAO?..." I started the conversation awkwardly. Kirito jumped in surprise

"How did you know I was?"

"It's me Zen… you know the crossbow guy…" Once I said the Kirito rubbed his eyes

"Zen!? I thought you were dead?" he questioned me

"I got a force logout… and please call me Zeak in here." We talked and caught up. I explained more of ALO and we then killed mobs until Leafa found an Inn. We all went to the Inn. In the inn I looked at Leafa and Kirito and said

"I'm coming with you guys to the world tree…"

Kirito smiled "alright Ze! I mean Zeak" When Kirito said that Leafa looked at him weird and then laughed

"Alright see you guys tomorrow." And then we logged out.

**The Next day**

I was in my room just waiting for time to go by when my door opened unexpectedly

"Hello!" the person that came in the room attached to that voice brightened up my day.

"Sugu!" I greeted in surprise "You're here!" she sat on my bed

"Should I not?" she laughed a bit. I put my head down "Well you haven't been here the last five days" I replied to which she started laughing really hard

"Sorry" she laughed out. Once she got ahold of herself she looked at me "Do you know the today's date?" I didn't know what she meant. I didn't know what the date was, but how did that have anything to do with the situation. "It's the first week of school." … oh I feel stupid now…


	20. Chapter 20

The day started with movement therapy trying to move my arms. I didn't get anywhere with that and I ended up getting exhausted. After the therapy ended with little results I started memorizing spells and this happened until Suguha came at her new time after school. She didn't have much time with me anymore on the week days, but at least she could still visit. She came into the room and we started telling each other about our days and started making jokes and also started teasing each other. Once she left I was sad, but the room didn't seem as empty as it used to be. Were the white walls use to be was now notes and prints of spells and movement therapy. My arms were no longer void husks of flesh, but a signal of hope. This room seemed bigger than before and I was a lot happier with it this way.

At seven it was time for me to go to ALO. Today I had to help get Kirito to the world tree. I had the nurse put on my headset and I said the kay worlds Link start.

Once in the game I was in an Inn and I was greeted by Kirito who was first to log in. Leafa was still on her bed not logged in yet. The inn was dark and was made of polished wood. Kirito and I stayed silent towards each other, we never really talked much in SAO, but I kinda got what he was thinking. It took a few minutes until the cute blonde fairy logged in. Once she did she got up and looked straight towards Kirito and I sensed a hit of her blushing.

We went into town to get supplies for the long trip. It was going to take two days to get to the world tree so we had a long trip ahead of us. We got plenty of instant revives and potions, both mana and health. Once we got equipment we started walking to the town's travel point. Each town has a travel point so that players could go long distance with their wings because wings only have a thirty minute travel time. Once we were at the tower a crowded part of the town we had hundreds of players staring at us because we were in Sylph territory and the only thing that was protecting us was our sylph friend because when we were in their territory which gives them the right to kill us in a non pvp area and we wouldn't be able to fight back if we didn't have Leafa… we were about to take the elevator, but was stopped by a sylph general named Sigard that had a problem with Leafa leaving with us. Sigard always had a power problem. I didn't know Sigard's problem with Leafa's going with us. Yesterday I became an Undine royal general so I think he's threatened that one of his players is going with someone of my status and that it would make him look bad. With not another word we went up to the elevator and flew off. Kirito and Leafa talked in the air, but something was weird when they were talking. It seemed natural, they talked as if they knew each other since birth… the travel was a few hours long of Leafa getting to know Kirito. Once our wing ran out of flight for the third time we went down for a rest.

"Ok now two of us needs to stay while we take turns afk eat dinner or whatever they need to do. I'll go first I have to make dinner" she afked and left me and Kirito alone.

"Kirito why do you want to get to the tower anyways?" I asked him lying down to rest

"It's because I have to find someone before the week ends." He stated laying down with me

"Is it your girlfriend?" I teased to which he jumped in surprise "I'm joking." It took a while, but eventually Leafa came back and it was Kirito's turn. Once Kirito left it was just me and Leafa and she was deeply concentrated on Kirito's face and blushed… I was about to talk, but a guide fairy popped out of Kirito's pocket

"Why are you looking at daddy like that?" the Guide fairy was moving while the player was afk

"How are you moving without orders from your master!?" I questioned loudly.

"I'm not your ordinary NPC." She smiled and put two fingers in front of her face.

"O…K…" I started poking at her cheek "Your from SAO aren't you"

"What was that?" Leafa said. I was going to answer, but Kirito came back

"Zen your turn." I was going to say no, but I needed something to eat. I called the nurse in real life to get me food, but as I did I could still see the screen of the game, even though I wasn't fully amerced. I saw Kirito getting along so well with Leafa and as I watch them I felt a tear come to my eye.


	21. Chapter 21

**All the characters from SAO gathered around the writer as he wrote the next chapter of Zen's Art Online on a typewriter that was on the floor with him above a blanket. They all looked at the writer trying to get peaks at the script of the new chapter they were going to be in.**

**(Kagura): I'm going to get babes in the next chapter right!?**

**The writer shifts around **

**(Serenity): hay writer I need more screen time. **

**(writer): quite please…**

**Serenity's hair starts blazing and the writer moves the typewriter to the opposite side he was on so that he didn't have the others peaking at it from behind **

**(Writer): And no peaking!**

**(Zen): well ca~**

**(Writer): Zen you're going to be screwed up until I am satisfied!**

**The writer looked at Zen with demons eyes that could have reaped his soul. A few seconds later and Zen was in the fetal position in the corner. The writer grabbed a page that was complete and set it on the ground next to him.**

**(Milla): Will this be the chapter that I actually play a major part in?**

**(Writer): No but I plan on giving you one later.**

**Milla looks at the writer in disappointment**

**(Milla): Just like how you planned to rewrite your Naruto fanfic?**

**The whole gang including the writer looks at a corner that was dark in the room. The corner had a box that was Labeled "Death has not Come Yet Rewrite" the box had spider webs and crunched up balls of paper. The box looked like it hadn't been touched in months**

**(Writer): Don't worry I plan on giving you a chapter.**

**Hearing this Milla puts her head between her shoulders and starts sulking until she joins Zen in the fetal position in the corner.**

**(Kagura): You haven't said no to my questioned!**

**Kagura had already started rejoicing, but hadn't realized that the writer was completely ignoring him outright.**

When I got back Kirito was ready to start moving again. We left into the air and for hours of sifting between walking and flying we made it to a cave that would lead us to the world tree. We entered and walked at a pace that would get us to the other side in a decent time. in the cave Leafa was helping Kirito learn spells and after a while of listening to him mess up the spells I decided to help with him. we walked along and through half the cave Kirito only memorized one spell. Once he had the spell down he heard something.

"What was that" Kirito was in somewhat of a panic. He had us looking as well behind us in the darkness. It took a while, but I saw red eyes looking at us, but not threatening us. It was a familiar sent to keep track of us.

"Crap" I sweared as I pulled out my bow and shot at the familiar. The bow went through the familiar's wing and as it burst into flames I took Kirito's and Leafa's hand and dragged them as I ran

"They have our positions! We are being followed by a big party of pvpers and we need to get to the town before we are forced into a situation that we don't want" We got out of the tunnel and ran onto a bridge that lead to the town that we wanted to be in. As we got a few yards down the bridge a wall of earth sprang forth and the first thing Kirito tried to do was take a whole wall down with his claymore. We turned to the enemies that were approaching. The enemies that were facing us were big in number. Five mages, five shields men and three swordsmen.

"Leafa can we escape through the water?" Kirito asked her, but instead of Leafa, I answered.

"No the only one that would make it if we went in there is me." I thought about the situation then motioned Kirito to leave this to me.

"Leafa I want you to support me with healing." I started chanting. i readied my crossbow and charged. the enemies outnumbered me ,but I didn't care. The three swords men charged me, but before they could land a blow on me I was done chanting and watcher com up onto the bridge and swept them off into the lake where the monsters finished my job. I kept charging down the bridge to the next in line. The shield men lined up in a formation so that I couldn't get past their shields to get behind them… walking. I used my wings and stepped on a shield

"You really suck for pvpers" as that was said my eyes started glowing blue and I grew a magical fin on my back.

"Drake mode!" my voice sounded distorted for my teeth were now sharp enough to rip though swords. I shot the guy whose shield I was standing on with a water bullet from my mouth. As he burst into flames the formation broke. I was sandwiched in with enemies. I lunged at an enemy on my left jumping in an arc ripping his throat out with my teeth. Still going I tore through the stomach of the guy behind him with my claws. As the enemies burst into flames, fire magic hit me from the mages I forgot about. The magic fizzled on my skin and tickled. I shot the two remaining shield men with my cross bow and started walking slowly to the mages. They kept hammering at me with magic, but I just walked through the little embers. They started panicking as I got closer.

"To late to run now…" I let go of a spell that I was delaying. Bubbles appeared around the mages and one appeared near me. I jumped into the bubble and came out of one of the bubbles near the mages and took one of their arms off. After doing the damage I disappeared into another nearby bubble. I came out again this time taking a mages waist and then I came out taking a leg, then a shoulder then a knee. This went on until there was one mage left with barely a life. He spilled every bit of info he had about Sigard betraying the sylphs. He was too scared to refuse. That is why I do cruel thing to induce fear in my opponents, because if their scared… they already lost.


	22. Chapter 22

**Today the writer was joined by Kagura and Serenity**

**(Kagura) Needs more women!**

**Kagura complained looking at the pages for the chapter**

**(Writer) Hay! No sneak peaks!**

**The writer pulled away the pages from Kagura and put them back in a neat file with the other… where are the other papers**

**(Serenity) Come on where is my screen time! **

**Serenity came into the room holding paper in her hands **

**(Writer) Give that back!**

**The writer rushed to Serenity and took back the paper**

**(Kagura) My love! My Goddess! Do you need anything from your humble servant Kagura complete and total package!**

**Serenity too out her sword and raised it to the air as her hair blazed**

**(Serenity) Your Goddess demands Sacrifice…**

**(Kagura)…**

**(Kagura)…**

**(Kagura)Yay! **

After the incident with the salamanders we got information about the betrayal of Sigurd

"Guys I have to go protect Sakuya… I understand if you can't come…" Leafa started to walk giving us a chance to catch up if we do want to help her. Kirito instantly joined her side and as I was coming a message rang in front of me that read

**Ventus Regnum emergency**

The message had details about an army of Sprigans attacking the Regnum house and the only two there to protect it was Serenity and Kagura.

"Leafa… I'm so sorry, but our house is being attacked. I have to go help." I said this and she looked down in disappointment

"Hay don't worry about it, you go kick some Salamander tail and I'll make sure you have a home to come back to. And perhaps I can defeat them so fast that I'll be able to join you."

She smiled and laughed "Or maybe I'll be able to kick the Salamander's tail so fast that I could join you!" she jumped into the air and extended her wings to fly. Kirito followed… and then me because I actually needed to go the same way to get out of the cave.

I flew as fast as I could to the guild house that we had bought with the quest money we got from the moth quest. On the way I saw armies of Salamander, and Sprigan all over the place. Sprigan weren't known for their fighting, so I wondered why they were being aggressive now. Once I got to the half-way point I was ambushed by some that all died in a few seconds. I didn't even have to stop moving to kill them. Once the Sprigan were dead I speed up so that I could just pass by any more ambushes that were placed for me or the other members.

Once I got to the guild house there were at least twenty Sprigan that weren't Kirito in one spot. In the mass of Sprigan was Serenity and Kagura was pinned down by two of them.

"You can't silence Kagura! Pixel help me!" as he said that I saw a small guide fairy with long blue hair come out of his pocket

"I'm coming master!" she yelled as she flew around and landed on Kagura. When she was on Kagura she went down on her knees and started to hit Kagura's stomach with the bottoms of her tiny fists over and over. "I'll free you master!"

Kagura smiled "You see that gray guys I'm going to be free soon and I'm going to beat the hell out of you!"

This was going nowhere, but on the other side of the battle Serenity was fighting a few. I jumped down and ran to her side

"I'm here" I took out my crossbow and went back to back with her

"Took long enough!" Serenity's hair was already blazing hot and she was raring to eat some Sprigan meat.

Sprigan started to jump at us one by one. We killed them left and right, but as we kill them they just got reinforcements. We fought and fought to what seemed like hours, Pixel was still trying to free Kagura and the fight looked like it was going nowhere. After I had killed fifteen Sprigan and Serenity had killed fifteen we had both fallen to our knees from exhaustion. This is when the Sprigan general Kain came out. Kain was known for being unfair. He'll see any unfair situation and go for it and he always got his way.

"Look at this." He said as he approached the two of us on our knees. "Two members of the top guild kneeling before me." Serenity took offence to this and jumped at him. She was tired and her movements were slow so he just took out his knife and put it in her shoulder. Making her thrive in pain onto her back on the floor

"Is that it!" he yelled at her as she grabbed her hair and pulled her so that she faced him "Is it! Blaze reaper!" he called Serenity by her nickname that was given to her by the ALO community "Your power is supposed to match the strongest player in Salamander!" he though her head to the floor and put his foot on her head "Worthless!" putting pressure on her head I saw her health depleting at a rapid rate.

"Stop it!" a voice rang out serious full of anger. I had enough anger to look to were the voice came from. It was Kagura he was free and around him was four blue flames. Kagura's face was pure anger. I never saw him like this even in SAO.

"Looks like that one has some fight in him." Kain said as he put more pressure on Serenity "You're out numbered twenty to one how do you expect to w~"

"I said GET THE HELL OFF MY TEAMATE!" he interrupted releasing a spell that shot a blast of energy at Kain. Kain had to jump back and block with his dagger the blast was so strong.

"Boys get him." he commanded the Sprigan and they listened. Four Sprigan started running to him.

"Pixel… knight mode."

"Yes master…" even Pixel sounded serious. Armor equipped on to Pixel and she even got a sword. Kagura got on his gauntlets, but he held them different. On the gauntlets there was once piece of a chain that he held with his opposite hand. He pulled and broke of the chain revealing sound holes and as the holes were released a high pitched screeching noise filled the air with sound that would tear someone's ears apart.

The Sprigan stopped in place because of the sound holding their ears. Using this opportunity Pixel shot through one guys heart making him burst into flames. Kagura use this opportunity to break one of the Sprigan's jaw with an uppercut. This was no ordinary uppercut. When the gauntlets hit they shot a blast of energy made of sound into the air blowing the Sprigan's head to smithereens. He turned and punched the air towards the other two Sprigan shooting waves of energy making them burst. Once done he stood straight again with four flames around him again, but this time with his equipment on.

"Get him!" Kain yelled as four more ran towards him.

Kagura stood there and the screeching sound rang out again, but this time it didn't work on the Sprigan. They ran through. Once they got to Kagura, Kagura spun around with his foot extended grabbing the flames of the dead Sprigan around him. He kicked up and slit the Sprigan in half. While in this state Kagura was open and one of the Sprigan swung down with their sword. It would have hit if it wasn't blocked by Pixel. Kagura brought his foot down taking out the Sprigan Pixel was blocking and then shot a blast killing the other two at the same time. Once the Sprigan died Kagura stood with four flames of dead Sprigan around him again.

"He's a monster!" a Sprigan warrior said as they all flew the seen. Kain was to in shock to move. Kagura walk up to him as he fell on his butt.

"What! I thought you were Kagura the Fliting Jokester!" he said in disbelief calling Kagura by his nickname

"I am a flirting jokester." He said as he raised his fist towards Kain "And the joke has been played on you!" He shot a wave of energy leaving nothing left of the Sprigan General.

Kagura stood there with a proud look in his face.

"Hahahahahah!" he laughed obnoxiously "And don't forget that I'm the Full package and everything a woman wants in the perfect man!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Today Zexion joins the write as he writes**

**(Zexion):...**

**(Writer):...**

**(Zexion):...**

**(Writer):...**

**(Zexion):...**

**(Writer):hi**

**(Zexion):yo**

Running through the forest I was on my way to the pillar where the Sylph and catsith alliance was going to be formed. I took short cuts and high tops and overloaded my flying just to get there in time. I had left Kagura and Serenity to clean up the mess that the Sprigan had left. I tried my hardest to get there in time and when I did, a battle was going on between Kirito and the Salamander general. I saw Leafa

"Leafa! What's going on!" I ran up to her.

"Kirito was bluffing about an alliance between Sprigan and Undine and now he is in battle to prove it." She barely spared anytime for me as she looked up into the sky to see Kirito.

"Can't he just use me!?" I questioned to no one listening.

There was an explosion in the air and my eyes were drawn up. There was a cloud of smoke made from a Sprigan's spell. The spell manage to reach the ground were me and Leafa were at and I heard a small squeal from Leafa

"Where's my sword?" She was trying to feel behind herself for a sword that was missing.

When the smoke cleared one of the two that was just battling was missing. Kirito was gone. We all looked around for him, but he was so well hidden that we didn't realize where he was until he attacked the general knocking him out of the sky ripping through his armor with his dual blades

"We won." Zexion appeared out of nowhere. I didn't know he was here,but then I remembered that he was Catsith

"Hi Zexion." I greeted him

"Yo..." We wasn't very verbal. I turned my attention to the dead general that flew across the sky as he turned into flames.

After we had killed the general we took the time to revive him. Once we did he looked at me and looked shocked. Once he collected his thoughts he apologized to Kirito and left. We had won and there was now nothing that could distract us from the world tree now.

After the battle Sakuya became immediately attached to Kirito and the Catsith leader as well. Looking at this I had no words to explain what I was seeing.

Was Kirito really this good with women?

Sigurd got a surprising call and was kicked from the Sylph protection. He was now a rouge which was not easy to be. After Sigurds call Kirito, Leafa and I left to get to the world tree.

It didn't take long. We were practicly already there. The battle that took place was only a little ways back from the cave and the world tree was just on the other side.

"Thanks for taking me here" Kirito started "but I need to go in alone now." He disbanded the party and left the other way. Leafa chased him to talk, but Leafa and I had helped Kirito all we could right now. I swiped my finger down in the air. A menu popped up and I went to settings and then log out. My screen went black and then I woke up to a hospital bed. I was stuck laying down with a headset on my head. I called the nurse to help me get the thing off and asked her to get some dinner. The nurse was feeding me a sandwich(no avocado) when something I had not noticed in my room started ringing. I had never noticed that my room had a phone. The nurse stopped to pick up the phone.

"Room 312 who's this?" The nurse said in a pleasant tone "uh huh, uh huh, I see... Ok" see looked towards me and put the phone by my ear "it's for you" she held the phone gently next to my ear and I heard

"Zen! Zen! Zen! Zen! Zen!" The voice kept shouting my name.

"This is him!" I got a hit angry at the phone

"I found you!" The voice rejoiced when I answered

"Who is this?" I was on the phone five seconds and already I was annoyed

"This is Axel... I mean Kagura! The most social man alive!" Kagura found my real phone number?

"Kagura what the heck! How did you get my number!" I sounded a bit angry.

"I googled your gamer tag and you showed up and I realized, hay you live near me. So I called!" His voice just got loader and loader "Hahahahahah"

"Hang up the phone now!" I yelled, but the nurse only laughed.

"By the way I found Serenity's... I mean Seion's number in the most wonderful invention ever created! The phone book. I'm going to call her right now." Beep beep beep Kagura hung up the phone and I just payed there think, trying to comprehend what the heck just happened there

"Well that was interesting." The nurse just laughed as she took my plate and left the room.

I was left in the room for awhile, but after a few minutes the door opened

I girl in highly expensive fancy clothes walked in. She had long brown hair in pigtails, glasses that covered red eyes and had a book in her hand

"Hello Zen." The girl said standing next to my bed side "Are you doing well?"

I looked at her something seemed familiar about her, but I didn't know what

"Oh sorry you probably don't recognize me" she apologized and the. Sucked in her pockets and took out a paper showing it to me. On the paper was game stats for a character. The characters name

"I'm Milla. My real name is Mero"

"Milla!" I was surprised "You! But! How did you find me!?"

"Kagura." She stated "Once he told me where you were I just took my private jet here." Rich girl huh?

"Well how are you" I asked her. She then sat in my bed and we exchanged who we were in real life telling stories. It turns out Milla's family owns this hospital including a numerous amount of companies. She even admits that she owns her own library that's strictly hers. The moment was good it felt warm.

"Milla... I mean Mero. I wish we could talk like this all the time." I laughed

"We can" she stated "Kagura plans on us meeting in real life all the time."

"I see..." Does Kagura know I'm stuck in a hospital?

Mero and I talked a bit more until she had a meeting to go to and had to leave.

Time started passing again when I asked the nurse to turn on then TV and put in on the VRMMO channel. The channel was designed to show you what's new in the VRMMO world.

The show was all about the new ALO update with a reincarnation system. The reincarnation system was weird you had to get the approval of a race leader to reincarnate. Besides that they announced that the update was also going to add major cities that every race was going to get. The Cities were going to be so massive that it would take days in real time to fly them without the new train system. The update was going to be big new weapons, magic and new level cap everything had something new. The show was going to explain new monster spawns when the door opened and someone ran to my side

"Zen!" The voice sounded choked with tears. I looked to see Suguha crying. She put he face into my chest wanting support

"Sugu!" I was surprised. She kept crying in my chest

"What's wrong." I let her cry on my chest until she was ready to talk. Once she regain composure she looked at me

"Sorry..." She apologized

"Don't worry about it just tell me what happened" I was worried about what made Suguha cry

"I play a VRMMO called Alfhiem and their I play with slot of friends" she told me to which I was surprised. I new she played but I didn't know that it was ALO "All my friends were good to me, but for some reason I couldn't help, but to fall for one." She was in love with someone from the VRMMO this made my heart sink "his name was Kirito" wait what? Is she? What the hell? Leafa? She explained more of her story and told me that Kirito was her brother Kazuto in real life was bitterly broke her heart because he was in love with another.

"Zen..." She started tearing up again and went into my chest "Sorry, but I need comfort and I don't know who else to go to but you." She choked as she went into my chest again. I was sad now. Sugu was in a bad state right now looking for comfort and I couldn't comfort her for real. I just wanted to put my arms around her and comfort her.

"Zen!" She said in shock and surprise

"What?" I looked at her then noticed something two of my limbs where they shouldn't be.

My arms were wrapped around Suguha


	24. Chapter 24

It's been two days that I actually was making progress in moving my arms I was able to hold up my body for a good minute or so. I was making nice progress. I would be able to get a wheelchair in a week once my family gets the money. Suguha solved her problems with her brother in a fight on ALO, but… when I told her that I was Zeak… she almost took it as well as Kirito being Kazuto. She didn't even visit me yesterday… I would have told her sooner if I had known she was Leafa. She yelled at me for a bit about being in Alfhiem after just coming out of SAO… I swear she is worrying about me too much. I put on my headset and logged in. I entered the world of ALO and instantly I got a message from Kirito asking for help beating the tower. He told me to come alone… but I had the whole guild come anyways. Kagura wanted to have something new that he can staple to the back of his name and conqueror of towers was a great sounding name to him. Serenity thought of the experience and Milla thought it would be fun. Zexion had nothing better to do so we all were there and Kirito was pissed.

"I said come alone…" Kirito mumbled looking at everyone who was side by side"

I walked in front of them all "well it's everyone or no one at all Kirito" Kirito was not going to win this argument.

"All right lets go…" Kirito started walking towards the tower

Leafa came up to me "are you sure you're ok to be pl~"

"Sugu! Please stop. I've been playing for months in that bed, I thought you how to fly in that bed. Please don't treat me different because you know I'm on a bed." I sort of yelled at her… I regretted it afterwards.

"Sorry for caring!" she yelled as she stomped away from me. Well I just screwed up…

"Good!" I'm just making the situation worse

**Later **

We entered the tower and mechanical angels started spawning one by one. Making hungered with swords and bows. We had to get Kirito past them and the sky was full of them. I pulled out my bow and flew into the air shooting. I shot and took out one at a time. this was too slow so I pulle out a sword. With the sword I slashed one in front of me as three of them surrounded me. they charged at me at the same time and I flew up just slightly so I could stand on their blades. Once there I spun blade in hand to decapitate them. I looked over to see Serenity burning one in the palm of her hand.

She threw the angel at another and cut the two in half. She charged and tore through so many angels that is seem like she didn't even notice them there.

When I looked at Milla she flew through the air throwing her chakrams killing angels. She was srounded and when they all charged they all got black boxed

I saw Kagura throw Pixel at the enemies doing nothing. Once they charged him, he ran away

Zexion tore through angels with his daggers, and his wolf made watching his back look easy.

We fought and fought and slowly move forward. It got to the point where we were surrounded from top to bottom

"Kirito catch!" I threw my sword at him to which he caught

"Ok" he confirmed before he charged the top and made it through

I pulled out my bow and started trying to survive. We killed and we kill and we kill till we were tired. Still one hundred left to go

"These guys think they could take the great Kagura!" Kagura yelled. He flew at a sonic wave breaking the bottom formation of enemies so he could reach the floor

"YAAAAAAAAH!" He blew through the air at a sonic speed it was amazing he flew around the enemies in a blurring speed he went into the air

"Kagura's final strike!" he flew down and hit one of the angels bring him to the ground. The blow was so powerful that it created a crater in the ground as big as the floor. He had totally alliterated his enemy.

"YEAH!" he yelled as his hair started to spike and once it was fully spiked it blasted and turned blonde. Electricity was sparking around his body. He turned to me with seriousness in his eyes

"Blonde hair dye" as he said this I face palmed and an arrow ripped through his chest killing him

Milla was cracking up. We all started to fight again until we died one by one

It was me and Leafa left

"Leafa" I called to her "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier"

She looked at me "No I'm sorry I shouldn't have treated you different knowing who you are… I just care" a blush formed on her face "I like~"

Then I died

I was now in the hospital bed thinking of what she would have said. After a while I got a message from Kirito saying that he saved Asuna and I felt accomplished.

That's when my room door open and it was a sight. It was Sugu in a nice dress

"Hello" she said as she came over and sat on my bed.

"Hi" I greeted her and I used my arms to sit up on my bed.

"This is the spot I sat on when I first came here" she reminisced

"So how's your day?" I asked her in a joking manner pointing back to when we first met.

She laughed "So what were you trying to say before we died?" when a said this her face lit up a bright red and she brushed some hair out of her face

"Um… nothing…" she tried to avoid the question

"Come on!" I encouraged her

"No!

"Come now!"

"No!"

"Com~"

"I like you!... a lot…" she blushed and turned the other way

"Su…gu" I was surprised and I think my hair was standing on end. I was thinking of what to do and then I just reached out and grabbed her hand

"I like you too… a lot that is" no words were said afterwards our eyes connected and she started leaning into me slowly and our lips were inches away from each other when

"Hello!" Kagura I mean Alex busted into the room

"Alex!" Sugu yelled

"What! I can't bring my friend a gift?" He brought in a wheelchair

"What! How!" I yelled in happiness

Milla/Mero can into the room "I bought it for you."

And then another girl came in "Hi…" this girl said shyly then once I looked at her she looked like someone I knew except she had messy hair "Serenity!?"

"Seion please…"

And then behind Seion was Zexion

"Yo" Chris said as he waved "You finally up? We're going to get some burgers want to come?"

Everyone was here… it was perfect.

**Somewhere Else**

It was dark. So dark in fact that no one could see a thing. all could be heard was scratchy cercus music

After a while of darkness showing a floor that was rainbow colored and then a man walked into the spot light.

This man had no hair and a bolo hat on. he wore a suit with a red tie and black paint from the bottom of the sides of his mouth to the bottom of his chin to make him look like a wooden puppet

"Testing testing is this on?" he tapped a mic that was obviously on "Alright are the volunteers ready?" he looked behind him and spotlights went onto four spots showing four chairs with four people in them chained. They all had blind folds, but that didn't block the tears that flowed down their faces to which they all simultaneously whispered "Help us we can't log out"

"Ok!" the man said shutting off the spotlights in which afterwards there was screaming coming from four different voices. The man faced the Air in front of him to which no one was there and spoke into the mic with an announcer's voice

**"COME ONE COME ALL TO THE CERC DA CRAZY! WE HAD JUST ADDED FOUR NEW MEMBERS TO OUR TEAM. COME JOIN AND HAVE FUN. AND TRUST ME ONCE YOU JOIN YOU WON'T EVER WANT TO LEAVE!" **He turned around and dropped his mic laughed a sadistic laugh

"Let's get freaky!" he then walked into the darkness in the direction of the chairs as blood stained the floor were the spotlight was.


	25. Zen's Art Online Battle of Ventus Regnum

**Hello peoples it's personauser93 and no I don't have a computer yet, but I do have a cousin that is letting me borrow his computer so that I can do a Zen's Art Online "Movie" it will be a four chapter "Movie" slash fanfic thing. It will take place in GGO, but it won't be an arc because sadly I will not be doing a whole GGO arc because Zen's Art Online will be moving away from cannon for the new arc. Now ladies and Gentleman **

**Zen's Art Online Battle of Ventus Regnum pt 1 **

A few months has passed since everyone was finally free from SAO and ALO and there was a school created to help those kids back into education and into society. It wasn't that bad. I was finally able to go to school being able to move my hands and everything with the wheelchair, but I haven't been to a school in years and suddenly being expected to do homework was hard because I haven't had to worry about it in so long. I had to balance my time between games and school. I had a need to play games with friends and be with Sugu, but if there was a report due... I was stuck in my room. My room, now that I am able to move on my own u was able to leave the hospital and live with my family now. It was a upside seeing my sister Isis and my mother... But my father on the other hand... Well I'll save that for later... Right now I was going to meet my friends on a new game called GGO a pro game that has been going on for a few months and it was going to have its second world tournament. Sugu, Zexion, Milla, Serenity, Kagura, and I were going to enter for fun and see how far we could get. We planned to meet up and buy weapons together. It was about time and I sat myself on my bed on top of its black covers I took out an old helmet that was used to enter the VMMOs. Mine was an old model and you could tell the difference because it covers the whole head instead of just the eyes. The scratches on the sides where from nurses not knowing how to handle the thing gently. This was the very helmet that I used in SAO and Alfhiem. I put on the helmet and laid myself down onto my bed so I could see nothing but the screen of the helmet and the white roof above that screen. I was ready to enter the game.

"Link start!" I shouted, but not load enough to bug anyone in the house. My consciousness went into the screen as my vision was being drowned by color, my senses connecting to the game. The human world was gone as the game world replaced it with its settings, volume, and graphics took over.

When the game was finished forming around me u was on a white circle platform that was floating off in the middle of nowhere above my head had three huge words that had bullet holes in them the words read Gun Gale Online.

My account was transferred from Alfhiem so I had no need to create an account in fact I only had one option that I could press and that was start game. I brought up my index finger and pressed the screen which made a high pitched confirmation tone ring throughout the air. The floor sank, but I didn't. I was standing in darkness with nothing supporting me. Lights flashed, colors merged, and images formed until I was in the dark futuristic town of the beginning town of GGO. The town was set in a dark tone with dark colors making up the buildings. Every player had a gun strapped to they're side. The outfits on most looked a bit western while the others had light armor.

They're were high tech vehicles parked along a street in the town. The town was hard to navigate, but with the help of the players that I asked I managed to get to the weapons shop. The shop was basically pictures on the wall. Once someone touch them a screen appears before that person giving the price, quantity, and color. The first thing I looked for was a crossbow which with the beginning money I was only able to get the cheapest. Once I clicked yes to buy it a warning popped up in front of me that reads

Warning crossbow do not have the aim assist program and are very hard to use are you sure? Yes or no?

I clicked yes of course. SAO didn't have an assist program so I was use to not having it anyways. After I clicked the option the color customization screen appeared I made the bow green and once I was done the bow appeared In my hands after taking a quick look at my bow I put it back in my inventory

**LATER**

The gang planned on meeting in the center of the city, but I was the last one to make it. I took my time to enjoy the differences between GGO and Alfhiem. Alfhiem had a fantasy setting with fields of grass in towns and goblins, while GGO had a futuristic western feel to it. With guns, armor, the look, and the clothes. I made it to the center and the first thing I saw was Kagura and he had a foot mark on his face. The foot mark was probably from Serenity who had a blush on her face being held back by my favorite girl Leaf\Sugu. They were all by a bunch of benches that were faced towards each other in a circle. Serenity and Leaf were on the left, Kagura was in the middle, and Milla and Zexion were on the right almost on the ground laughing.

"Yo" I greeted grabbing the attention of Kagura who ran to my side. He put a gun to my side and whispered

...

...

...

"My jokes are killer." I face palmed.

He pulled back the hammer of the gun "Now you have ten seconds to tell me how much of a hunk I am."

"... Kagura are you really doing this?" I said annoyed

"You think I'm kidding!" Kagura yelled with an over exaggerated voice.

"Kagura stop!" Zexion thought Kagura's joke was going to far.

"Eat led!" Kagura pulled the trigger and a click was heard

This time everyone face palmed except Kagura

"Aw! It's not loaded!?" Kagura a bit disappointed.

I rose my fist "Your were really trying to shot me? You bastard"

"No Zen he's mine!" Serenity yelled holding a beam broad sword trying to get out of Leaf's grip

"Everyone calm down! Idiots! Baka!" Milla Broke the fight up.

**LATER**

After everyone calmed down we sat down on the circle of benches to talk

We talked as if we had been friends forever even Zexion had a part in the conversation.

"So how did Kagura get that foot stamp on his face?" I asked giggling

Kagura stood up and started talking like a gentleman.

"I was talking about something I shouldn't have. I was complementing Serenity on her sexy~" Kagura stopped, but not willingly. Serenity sure enough had the hilt of her broad sword to Kagura's head with her finger on the on button.

"Continue Kagura..." She said in a lower tone showing that there would be no mercy.

Kagura Coughed and then continued

"I was complimenting Serenity on..."

Kagura paused for a moment to thank of something to say

"Her sexy body!"

Serenity turned on her beam sword, but it missed because Kagura turned chibi and started running away on his tiny chibi legs.

After Milla chased down Kagura. We banded together, signed up for GGO

The team was together now and about to compete. The challenge for us. To beat each other

Milla bought a sniper with her beginning cash

Serenity bought a beam broad sword

Kagura bought a hand gun and land mines

Zexion got a gun blade

Sugu got a rifle

And I got a cross bow

It was now them vs me


	26. Chapter 27

After we signed up we were put into a waiting room and after a bit of time we had to quip and battle. Once the battling starts it won't stop so me and the group are going to be separated once it does. The group and I were sitting down at a table in the waiting area and the place looked like a bar in my personal opinion that had screens all over the place showing pvp highlights. The table we were sitting at was round everyone was talking to different people Zexion with Kagura talking about girls that they saw in the bar. Well Kagura was talking about them. Zexion was telling Kagura the extent of the damns he gave, Milla and Serenity were taking about a food place not in this game, and I was next to Leaf, but I couldn't say anything... It's been so hard to talk to her since I found that I have feelings for her. I want to talk, but I get nervous and I don't know what to say. When I find words in my head my lungs collapse and I never vocally express my thoughts to her. It use to be so natural. Back in the hospital, before I knew she was Sugu. She didn't really talk much either when ever she'd face me to converse her face would turn red and we would lose eye contact. I needed to talk to her. This blushing too nervous to talk to each other thing had to stop. That is not how you keep the company of someone your dating. I turned to her and a got her attention by turning her gently to face me

"Leafa I~" I managed to get out before Kagura grabbed me and pulled me over to Zexion forcefully

"This is how you can tell if someone is nervous!" Kagura pointed at me "I don't get nervous!" He yelled at Zexion. His statement made my face boil red.

"Then prove you don't get nervous by getting that girls number!" Zexion yelled at Kagura pointing at a waitress.

Kagura dropped me walked up to the girl and yelled

"Total package!"

Three minutes later

"I can't believe you got her number..." Zexion groaned looking at the digits on a piece of paper Kagura was holding.

I managed to sneak my way out of the conversation, but I landed in Milla and Serenity's conversation

"Zen there's this sushi place that Serenity told me about. After this tournament we should all go." Milla suggested

"Ok" I said rushing to get to Leafa's side, but as I did a megaphoned voice rang though out the waiting room

"Alright contestants it is time. To your left and your right are teleportation pods that will bring you to your first match. It's time for the games to begin!"

"Bye Zen" Leafa said hugging me then leaving to go to her corner.

"Good luck" Kagura left

"We're going too" Milla said leaving with Serenity and Zexion.

After they left I was alone and started on my way to get to my match. The players I passed looked tough, but that was just the random avatar system in effect. Most of these players were probably at least twenty years old and spend days straight on this game. So I had to watch myself because they'd know what they were doing. I was playing this for the first time today. I made it to the pod that was going to bring me to the match I opened it up and then equipped my weapon. In front of me in the pod on the wall there were words that read match begins and what followed that was the number thirteen and was counting down

Once the number hit zero my body was broken down into pixels and was carried over to another server of the game were the fields that were meant for PvP were. When I was brought back together I was in ruins that were above ground and broken so that you could see a forest around. There were pullers that varied in sizes all around the ruins that could be used for cover. The pillars were well split apart and had a good distance so it was safe for someone to run from pillar to pillar and not worry about being shot. The ruins were safe, but to obvious to stay in. I didn't want to be the safest player. If the person got to the ruins it would be a fair fight and I did not want that. I had a crossbow that had no aim assist and vs a gun that is automatic and does have aim assist, I'd lose in a fair fight I ran into the forest and I would try to walk on the bottoms of the trees, fallen trees and anyplace that seemed even a little quite. The floor was littered with sticks that broke off from the trees. The things break way too easily. This match was like a cat and mouse chase. My opponent and I just had to find out which animal we were. It depended on who found who. The good thing about crossbows is that they don't make a lot of noise so when I shoot my position isn't caught. I was walking quietly until I heard a stick snap from behind me. I was found first and I had no time turn around I ran giving him the information that I know he's found me. He had to act fast and waste some bullets letting me know what type of gun he owns, or he can find a new position in which to try and sneak a kill on me. I took cover behind a tree as a single bullet hit the side telling me that his gun was most likely not automatic. I heard sticks cracking in rhythm. He was running away.

I waited awhile until it was safe and I checked the area the man was for a shell. I managed to find one and I examined it. It was a sniper bullet besides that I didn't know much about guns so the model member and the name didn't mean much to me. Now that I know what type of gun I was facing i knew what type of game this was going to be in better detail. If I managed got closer to him I would have the advantage. I would imagine that he would have a smaller gun like a pistol so he is not weighed down and he would have some option for someone that would get close. I managed my way through the jungle. Looking for the guy I wasn't scared of him as much anymore. I know now that if I find him first I can see the aim detection line that comes out of the gun when you see the person firing. The lines were easier to predict me being from SAO, but if it was a machine gun. It would almost be impossible for me to dodge a bullet, but I know he has a sniper so I'm good. I started to act like a fool until I could get a shot fired at me, but I made sure that I was too fast to land a killing shot. I ran from tree to tree so that cover would be in his way whenever he wanted to shot me. He didn't fire off shots yet. He didn't want me knowing where he was. At the rate I was searching for him this was going to be too long. I ran towards to ruins to tempt him to shot at me again. I was willing to risk an arm or a leg just to find the man. I was now in the opening of the ruins running back and forth between the pillars. The guy was still not shooting. It was obvious now that this tactic wouldn't work. He didn't want to make the shot unless it was sure. I had to give him a shoot that seemed sure. I sat down in the open not guarded by any pillars. I closed my eyes and listened.

It was quite the only thing heard was the wind rustling the branches and leaves in trees, but if I concentrated enough those faded. I just listened and when I was peaceful in this state a heard a click. I immediately jumped up from my spot and rolled to the left. As I rolled a bullet hit the area I was sitting in an angle. I ran towards the opposite direction of the angle so that I could find the one who shot it. Every few seconds now I could see the aim prediction lines. Only the first shot from a sniper didn't have them. I dodged left and right as I got closer to where they were coming from. I jumped out of a bush to see a man with a hand gun. I quickly kicked the handgun out of his hand and shot an arrow thought his eye. The match was now over because the man didn't live the shot. I was force teleported back to the waiting room where I was expected to immediately call to fight again. After the first battle the rest were easy and predictable. They mostly used one gun which was probably the gun that people find to be "broken". It got easier as I got familiar with the popular guns. What took my by shock the most was that the finals would be between Milla and I. No matter what since we are both in the finals we pasted the preliminaries, but the person who won the finals would be placed in a better spot in the real final battle and I wanted that spot.

Milla passed me on her way to her pod

"Good luck." She said as she passed me "Try to entertain me and watch out for that area in between your eyes that is an instant kill for any gun."

This would be the first time Milla and I have ever fought each other. I went to my pod and equipped my bow. The match begun and I were put in a mall. The mall had stores that advertised the many sponsors every place had its own sponsor Coke, Pepsi, Sprite all the major businesses. I was in a very open part of the mall and it wasn't good there was no cover. I had to leave I turned to the exit and I found Milla pointing her sniper towards my head. The aim prediction line went right between my eyes as she fired. I dodged and took my charge towards her. She shot again and the aim prediction line was in between my eyes again. I dodged and again she shot with prediction lines in between my eyes. I just wanted to get close to get her to pull out her hand gun. I wanted a sure shot with the reload time of my bow. I got into the range where she should pull out her gun, but she defied my expectations. She started running sniper in hand towards me. I took out my bow and shot. The arrow left the bow and hit the roof. She used her hand to knock up my bow so the shot took to the air. She put her Sniper point blank to my leg and shot.

"Agh!" a surge of pain went through my leg. She quickly loaded the sniper since it was semi auto and shot a bullet through my other leg. I tried to push her, but she used the back of the gun to take me down to my butt. She got down on one knee and aimed the gun point blank between my eyes

"I said watch out for that area." She loaded the gun again "game over…"


	27. Chapter 28

I heard a click and I then I was back in the waiting room again... I had lost to Milla and now she had the good spot in the final round i on the other hand would most likely be spawned in with eight players on me once the final round was over the tournament had to take a break for the players. The break time was a twenty four hours. Some players had school, tests, work, etc. My match with Milla was the last match of the day. Everyone had already logged off well except for Leafa who was waiting for me to finish. She was in the waiting room at the table the gang was sitting at before. This time I wasn't going to be silent... I walked off to her. Her attention went to me

"Hi Zen you did a great job." She was the first to talk rah! She pay the seat next to her, inviting me to come sit with her. I took my seat and responded.

"Milla ended up beating me though." I nervously rubbed my head "You won on your side. You did great" I continued trying to keep up the conversation. I had to prove to myself that I could have a conversation with her like in my hospital days.

"Thanks" She said and then sat quite letting the awkward silence set in. I started to panic thinking up of things to say I finally chocked

"Leaf" and that was the only thing that came out verbally. I looked at her and she was glaring at me. I had forgotten she hadn't liked that nickname since I gave it to her.

"Zen..." She grumbled asking me to correct it. I loved the look on her face

"Leaf" I repeated getting an elbow to the stomach she leaned into me a bit poking at my forehead.

"Correct it!" She said with a little annoyed face with puffed up cheeks continuing to poke at my forehead.

"Not going to." I hymned almost singing. "Leaf" I started poking softly at her puffed at cheeks.

She was poking at my head and I her cheeks and this went on silently for a good three minutes. It was a battle of will power. I was the first to break out in laughter and Leaf followed.

"I'm going to call you Leaf it's already decided" I finished laughing

"I'm going to punch you every time you do..." She grumbled a bit, but then smiled. She hugged me

"I have to go I'm cooking dinner tonight" she got up off her chair and swiped her finger in the air. I couldn't see her options so it looked like she was poking at air.

"Say hi to Kazuto for me." I giggled as I got up and opened my menu and went into the settings

"Alright" she smiled "bye" Leaf clicked the air and she burst into pixels and soon I did the same

I awoke on my bed. I took off my gear, got on my wheelchair and went out of my room. I could smell food cooked in the kitchen which was just a short hallway from my room.

"Dinners ready!" I heard my mother alert the whole household. I made my way to the kitchen and got into a chair.

At the table were plates of food. The plates had rice and fish. One by one my family entered the kitchen and took their seats at the table. My sister Michie took a seat next to me after she gave me a hug coming into the kitchen. My father on the other hand didn't take a moment to say hi or even look at me for that matter. My mother came in and gave me a peck on the cheek. We started eating and the table was full of conversation, well except for my dad who was doing paper work.

"Hello dad" I said awaiting a response. He said nothing just sat there continuing his paper work.

"Can you stop that and have dinner. We haven't even talked about that yet. Why don't you talk to your son?" My mother got my dad's attention. He looked at me, looked at my wheelchair and looked back at my mother

"I don't have a son… just an embarrassment. I knew we should have stopped on the girl." He went back to paper work. The table went silent afterwards everyone off in their own world or too embarrassed to talk after the awkward silence. Once I finished my dinner I got in my wheelchair and went back to my room. In my room I got off my wheelchair and got on my bed and slept…


	28. SAo movie Fin

The final mass battle of the tournament was about to start. None of the gang had time to talk to each other, but we knew the bet. The one to survive the longest in this battle gets the right to be the leader of Ventus Regnum. I readied my bow, and equipped my armor. I checked the number of players playing this battle. The number was seventy five. Once I hit ready I was ported into a wasteland. I knew I was in a bad place because there were already two people on top of me. We spawned in faced each other about forty feet away in the open so that we could see each other. Both the guys in front of me had assault rifles and I had a crossbow. I had to play this smart. I rose my crossbow and looked to the one that turned my way he instantly started shooting at me and I ran to the side and dived to hopefully dodge his shots. The third man shot the other with the rifle killing him and leaving two of us left. He had to reload and started running away. I ran after him and shot. I didn't hit my mark. The bow went into his leg, but I wanted to use this. I ran up to the guy who wasn't done reloading out of panic. I put the metal coil on my crossbow around his neck and strangled him. He resisted for a good three seconds until the coil ripped through his throat. The guy disappeared into pixels. I reloaded my bow and moved on. The best way to win this bet against the others is to take matters into my own hands and kill them all individually.

Every thirty minutes was this scan that showed the positions of all the players and how many were left. It had only been thirty minutes and the number of players had been reduced to forty eight. The scan was like a hologram that showed the whole map. On the hologram were dots that when touched would show you who they were. I clicked around to see who was near me that I knew. The closest person was Serenity and she hadn't stopped to look at the map. Her dot was charging through other dots without stop heading in my direction. I was about to come face to face with her. I had to remember this is someone from Ventus Regnum and they are really hard to kill. I had to learn my lesson from when I fought Milla. I thought she was just like a regular sniper, but she ended up killing me in a way I had never expected. I waited for Serenity out in the open was she was charging. I saw her out in the distance. She had a beam broad sword in her hand at her side holding it nobly. She looking at her I could definitely tell that she was the blazing reaper of Ventus Regnum. Her red azure armor, the look in her eyes as she approached me, she had no attention for people who were weak. She wanted someone who could give her a challenge. She readied her sword and ran at me. Once I was in range she swung down at me. I quickly dodged to the left, but the sword didn't hit the ground. It was a faint so she could keep running as the swing went through. She tightened her grip and gave me a left hook across the face. She had me good and I was sent a few feet through the air. I regained composer, but her assault wasn't over. She quickly followed me and slashed horizontally. I jumped back and shot my bow at her feet to stop her. I didn't shoot my bow at her because she was in a position where she could have easily dodged it and made men's meat out of me. I shot in front of her so that if she wanted to advance she would have gotten hit by the arrow. She didn't do what I expected. She did stop yes, but she threw her sword at me taking off my arm.

"Arrh" I yelped in pain as data flowed out of the socket were my arm had been missing. She ran for me no sword in hand. I couldn't reload with no second arm. She reached for her sword and was about to reach it. I got my bow and wacked her in the face making her drop to the side. She was on the ground and I knew I had no chance that I would be able to overpower her even if she was on the ground. I ran for safety. I had to retreat and get out of that battle I had no chance as long as I had one arm. I got to a forest and escaped the battle. She wouldn't be able to find me until the next scan in twenty minutes. I had safety I went into my inventory and got a First Aid which I had infinite of in this place and they could heal parts that were blown or cut off. They only could be used outside of battle and took a long time to heal the limb, but I had to because I had a bow and I couldn't hold it and reload at the same time. I used the item and the healing process began. I reloaded my bow while it was on the ground with one hand just so that if someone found me I wouldn't be completely helpless. I took rest against a tree as the healing was finishing up, but before it did however. There was a shot prediction line that stretched out from the distance in-between my eyes. The bullet zoomed through the air and hit the tree a few inches away from my head.

"Darn it. I thought you would panic and move" a familiar voice came out from the distance. In the forest were the voice came from their was a shadow, but as the shadow got closer I revealed who it was attached to.

Milla and she had her sniper out and aimed for my head

"My mistake" she said in an emotionless voice as she fired another shot. The prediction line was in the same spot it's been since I've started this game it seems. I dodged to the left. My arm hadn't fully healed so I only had one arrow. I charged her and the shots she made wouldn't let up. Once I got close enough to shot I knew I was in the danger zone. I remembered what she did to me last time. She aimed her gun point blank to me, but before she could shot I had my bow out before she had her gun on me. I shot almost point blank at her heart. She would have died, but Milla was too smart to die like that especially when I'm handicapped and had one arm. She shifted her weight taking the arrow in her shoulder. The arrow was big enough to rip her arm off. At the same time she shot a bullet into my leg. I fell to the ground and she winced in pain.

She grinned as she put her sniper to my head. She pulled the trigger and click. The guy just made a sound, but didn't fire. she pulled the trigger a few more times, but the gun refused to fire

"Damn out of ammo" she rested the gun on her shoulder and started walking away from me.

"I have to go. If I stay and use a First Aid yours would be done first and if I tried to overpower you by hand you'd win. So I have to retreat for now." She walked further away and once she was almost out of sight she turned to look at me

"It's one, one now. Don't expect to win next time." and with that she left my sight. Once she was gone I used another first aid for my leg and once I was healed it was time for the scan. Opened up the map to see that there were only fifteen left and the nearest to me were Zexion, Serenity, and Milla. It was time for me to fight Zexion and see what he was made out of. He was the newest major member of Ventus Regnum. I went in his direction and before I could see him a shot was fired. It was definitely from Zexion, the shot was near from killing me. Zexion jumped out from the blue and slashed down with his gun blade. His gun blade met my bow and stopped in its tracks. He took his blade away from my bow and tried to trip me with his leg. During the fight he varied between slashing and shooting with the gun blade. Sometime to trip me up he would do both at the same time. I got shots in on his leg and he got some in on my arm. The fight took a while. We were tearing each other apart. And then out of nowhere bullets split us apart. The bullets were from a rifle and when I looked it was Leaf.

This quickly became a three way which my bow wouldn't have been enough to handle. I had to retreat. I ran but bullets followed me from behind had to take some, but I couldn't let them hit my vitals. I didn't let myself die and I made it to a safe spot. Once I got to safety there was five minutes on the scan so I had to hurry with the first aid. The healing didn't have a problem this time and in five seconds was the next scan. I turned on my map and the dots appeared. There was only six left. Serenity, Milla, Zexion, Leafa, Kagura, and I. Everyone was moving to one location. So it was time. Time for the true battle of Ventus Regnum. I started walking to the area and we all seemed to make it at the same time. The eyes of everyone was serious. It was time for action. I raised my guns towards Serenity because she was the main threat because she didn't have to reload. Milla pointed her gun towards Zexion.

"You're not getting away this time" She told him

He pointed his gun towards Leafa. He was mad because she had interrupted our match

Leafa pointed her gun at Kagura and had a blush on her face

And Serenity had her sword towards Zexion.

Kagura stood there with a funny look on his face looking at me.

"Hahahahah" he laughed his obnoxious laugh. Everyone's attention went to him and he continued "Do you guys know where we are?"

We all stood quietly

"This is where I started and do you all remember what I bought?" his smile grew wider

I answered "yea I remember you got a handgun and oh shi~" before I could finish Kagura pulled out a detonator and pressed it. The wasteland all around us unearthed thousands of mines. And boom! We all died. It ended up being a tie because Kagura was stupid and forgot to not kill himself.

The game logged out and crashed for a second because the explosion was too much to handle. I was forced out of the game and was back on my bed. I laughed because that was so fun. I was so glad that I had done that with my friends. To think that if I had never played SAO this would have never happened. I'm so glad to have friends like this. I was smiling my heart out when I heard knocks on my door and then it opened. It was someone I thought I would never see opening my door it was my dad hopefully hear to apologize.

"Pack up." He said bluntly.

"What why?!" I yelled at him confused. he put his hand to his temples when I said this

"I'm sending you to a school in America. More specifically Arizona and you don't have a choice in the matter." This man I was flabbergasted how could I even call him my father anymore he is just kicking me off so he wouldn't have to deal with me anymore.

"I~"

"I said pack! I'm done with the embarrassment that you have caused me. Your pranks with your friends when you were young and you in general are an embarrassment. Once you had paralyzed yourself that was it for me. You had become too much of embarrassment to be called my son anymore. Honestly, I wanted you to stay in that hospital! Now pack because you're going right now!"

This was my dad

**Hello peoples and that is the end of the movie of Zen's Art Online Battle of Ventus Regnum. Sadly this will be the last chapter until I get my new computer. Hopefully I have left you with enough cliff hangers to leave you wanting to come back to see the new arc that is coming up. See you all in the new arc. **


	29. Chapter 29

I was on the plane headed for America. I had my bags at my feet and my attention somewhere else. I wanted to call Sugu and tell her what was happening, but I didn't know what to say or even if it was safe to use a phone on a plane. I had never been on one of these so I was nervous of the plane crashing. The odds are the plane wasn't going to crash, but that still didn't calm my nerves. I wanted to hold Sugu. One of my fears even when I wasn't paralyzed had to be the fear of flying in a plane. I wish I had Milla here to tell me that it'd be ok and I know that it would be because she was never wrong. Zexion could calm me just by standing there. I wish Kagura and Serenity was here so that I could see Kagura tell a bad joke or provoked Serenity into crashing the plane. And I would be ok because I know as a group we would find a way. The fact is they were not here. I was on the plane alone and my fear of planes was getting ahold of me, but the fear of planes wasn't the only thing getting to me. I was also scared I would never see my friends again. I was afraid that once I got to America and went to the school everyone would notice that I'm in a wheelchair and avoid me and I wouldn't be able to make real friends again… I didn't know if this school would accept me. I hated my dad for what he had done. That "paper work" that he was doing during dinner was the final preparations to send me to this school. He did it right in front of mother… Would my sister miss me?

My concentration was disrupted as the plane jumped causing me to make a small bounce and making my heart skip a beat.

The plane had a few stops so I could get a break from the monster, but I eventually I had to get back on the beast.

The plane took a long time like twelve hours long… but once my wheelchair and I were on beautiful land I rejoiced. It felt like I just had a birthday. I quickly made my way out of the airport to meet this dessert called Arizona. Since I left the plane I could feel the heat of the dessert, but even though Arizona was in a dessert it looked like a normal town. It had buildings, streets, and markets kind of like Japan had. I made my way through the small town and the places I saw included a café, a super market, arcade, a hobby shop, and the school and dorms. I got to the dorms which looked like an apartment that had quite a few stories. Before I entered the dorm I got a text

The text was from Sugu and it read

May I come over later?

I hit reply and I texted. I'm in America. sorry family troubles. I wish I could be with you, but I didn't hit enter… I erased the message and typed Sorry you can't come over today. I'll see you tomorrow. After the message was done I hit enter. I felt guilty for not telling her the truth, but I was also scared to tell her that I wouldn't be able to see her anymore

I swallowed my feelings and entered the dorm and I walked into a big lobby with a student help service in the back right to the left of the stairs which I didn't have to worry about. To the left of the help service was the elevator. At the desk there was already a man complaining and my English was good enough to understand. My English wasn't fluent so some words I can't understand.

"Why are there no cleaning supplies in my room!" he yelled at the poor helper. The student wore a yellow t-shirt with a green horizontal strip at the top. He wore jeans and was bald.

"Sorry we don't supply cleaning supplies. That is the responsibility of the guest" the helper was backing up afraid of what the bald man was going to do to him. The man took out his wallet and raised it into the air

"What! I need to get to the market stat!" he yelled into the air. After the yell he paused and looked around. Once he saw me he ran straight up to me

"I'm not a clean freak you hear!" he looked at me with a face that spelled creep as he dug his index finger into my forehead.

"Argh stop!" I yelled at the man

"********you****jerk" the man spouted out English words that I didn't understand as he left through the door. My brain hurt trying to translate that what's fuching?

Well I checked into the help center and got my keys for my dorm. I took the elevator which was a pretty fast ride and I made my way to the room that read 134. I unlocked the door and walked in. once I was in I saw three beds and three stands by the beds for whatever the student wants. The room had a decent size. On one of the beds was a student with a headset on. He was playing a game. I didn't want to bother him so I just set up my bags without touching him. After the bags were set up I was able to lie down on my bed and rest after my what seemed like twelve hour flight here. I closed my eyes

And then the door burst open and the bald guy from earlier came in

"I'm back dirt!"


	30. Chapter 30

"I'm back dirt!" a bald teenager came into the room with a mop and started to instantly clean. He was young at least younger than me. He looked as if he could be a freshman in high school. The room was big and he had to clean every inch. He straightened all three beds and it was amazing how he straightened the kid with the headset's bed without even moving the kid. I opened my bags and I noticed everything was organized. The outfit I had was not the outfit I came into the room with I had no idea how he changed my clothes into something that matched without me noticing it. I came in with green sweatpants and a red and yellow shirt, but now I had jeans and a button up shirt with a sleeveless shirt underneath. Once the man was done with the room he wiped the sweat off his head and sat down on his bed

"Ah" he sighed in relief. "Everything is better now." he adjusted so he was lying on the bed he pulled out a magazine out of his bag opened it up and was now in his own world reading.

The whole process of cleaning took around three to four minutes. It was strange. I reopened my bag and took out my headset along with a copy of alfhiem. I opened the back of the headset and placed the cartridge into the back. I put the headset on and turned it on. The real world disappeared and was replaced with a flood of color replacing what was once there. I had seen this many of times since I started alfhiem. The world around me was replaced as I was standing on a blue platform. In front of me was a screen that read connecting and had a light that would go around in circles to show that it was buffering.

This was not the usual start up screen. The waiting took about fifteen minutes just so that I could get another screen that said

Sorry not in range of the Japanese server

"This was a great start to coming to America!" I yelled in sarcasm. I swiped my finger to bring up a menu went into the settings and turned off the headset. Once the headset was turned off the colors wiped away and then my consciousness went blank for a second as the world reformed around me. I came to with my eyes closed. I took of my headset and opened my eyes. In front of me while I was lying down was the bald guy looking at me

"You play VRMMOs?" he questioned me with an interested look on his face. That was a really stupid question. I had a headset on so yea… I play VRMMOs.

He didn't even wait for me to answer as he ran to his bag grabbed his headset and came back.

"My names Jake and- and I play VRMMOs" he held out his headset and a copy of alfhiem. The copy of alfhiem online in his hands didn't have the same box art as mine and on the bottom right it had the two letters NA. It was the NA version of the game.

"I just got this today and I don't know how to play it and I was wondering if you are able to help me." he said with a blush embarrassed to say that he was a beginner.

"Sure…" I said trying to think of what to say now. "I just have to get the American version of the game." I said once my thoughts were collected. Jake was happy once I accepted and even rose his arms to the air in celebration

"Yes!" he shouted and started dancing like a crazy man.

"Shut up please." Another voice came from the other side of the room. I looked to see that it was the student from before that had the headset on. He was sitting up on his bed and had his headset on his lap. He had on a white t-shirt and jeans. His hair was blond short, and spiked back and down in a messy style. "Sorry, but Jake is really load. If he bothered you I hope I can make it up to you. My name is Shiro" Shiro got up off his bed and looked at it because it wasn't how he left it.

"Jake… I told you not to mess with my bed…" saying this Shiro grabbed a blanket and threw it around a bit so that it would be messy.

"No!" Jake fell to the floor onto his knees as if every wrinkle on the bad was a blow to his heart. Shiro stopped once his bed couldn't be called clean anymore. Jake a steam started pouring out of Jake's head as to say the last wrinkle overloaded his brain. Shiro looked as if he had accomplished something great

"Ah that was a good start to the day." He said even though it was almost dinner. Shiro pulled a bag out from under his bed and opened it. He put his headset in and took a wallet out

"I'm going for breakfast want to come? I'll pay." I'm pretty sure he meant dinner... but it was free food and I didn't want to say no to free food. I reached to the side and grabbed my chair. I got in and looked at Shiro. He had just noticed that I was in a wheelchair.

"Sorry…" he muttered. Trying to look away on not be rude.

"It's ok. It used to be a lot worse" I laughed a bit "I'll take you up on that offer." I rolled to the door and opened it. Shiro exited first, and then Jake and I followed.

There was a cafeteria on the fifth floor of the dorm building where they would cook you up anything on the menu. Jake got a burger, Shiro got a salad and I got rice. The cafeteria was a big room with a stand in the middle where people order. Around the stand was a numerous amount of tables and the reason for all the tables was that a lot of events that the school holds are held in the cafeteria.

After we sat down at a table Shiro engaged me into conversation instantly about where I came from and what types of games do I like to play, hobbies, and my thoughts on the new Alfhiem update. He was trying to be friendly and get to know me because I was going to be his new roommate. I realized that being in America wasn't going to be the death of me and I knew I would get along with them.

"Hold still." Jake firmly said to me. He was intensely looking at me.

"What's going o-"

"Hold still!" He repeated firmer than before. He raised his hand with a napkin in it and gently wiped a piece of rice off the side of my mouth.

"D-did you just wipe my mouth." Really? Just wow I face palmed I thought it was serious and he wipe my mouth.

"Wow you wiped his mouth just like a mother or a couple would have done it!" Shiro started laughing hard "You clean freak"

"I'm not a clean freak! I was just trying to help…" Jake had a blush on his face realizing that what he just did was really weird and I laughed.

The three of us were having a great time and then I got a call. I excused myself from the table and looked at who it was.

It was Sugu. I picked it up and the first thing I heard was

"Why didn't you tell me…"

**Hi we are now beginning the new arc! I'm so excited. Because of some things that are going to be happening in the arc I have to warn you viewers of the fanfiction world that. Zexion and Shiro are going to be more important to the story now. Zexion is going to get dialogue! And the reason that I have to warn all of you is because there are going to be chapters were the first person point of view is from Shiro or Zexion. I hope you are all ok with that and I have to say goodbye for now until the next chapter later!**


	31. Chapter 31

I lied down in bed a bit depressed. I really want Sugu with me now I thought to myself remembering. The conversation from earlier

**Flashback **

I was in the cafeteria when I got a call and after I left my friends I looked at the caller ID and it read Sugu.

I picked up I put my ear to the phone and said

"Hello" I greeted Sugu turning away from the table I was just at ready to be deep into a conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me..." The voice was Sugu's but it was short and seemed mad or disappointed. I face palmed

"Sugu I~" I tried to respond but

"Why didn't you tell me!" She yelled into the phone as my heart went down into my stomach.

"Because I didn't know what to say Sugu." I tears started falling from my eyes.

"I texted you and you were already gone. You lied to me!" Her voice was getting teary and I could tell that my voice was getting teary as well.

"Sugu I didn't want~ Sugu I'm sorry." I didn't know what to say to her. I had to remedy to situation. "Sugu I am in America. My dad forced me to leave as soon as the GGO tourney was done. I'm sorry."

Sugu went silent for a moment I could hear her gasping for air from crying. This had to stop I couldn't stand Sugu crying. If it continued I wouldn't be able to take life anymore. I would rather lose my ability to use my arms again then let her continue to cry. I got my act together wiped my tears and put the phone closer to my mouth.

"Sugu listen my father is an ass. I plan on coming back. I graduate this year and I'll come back to go to college in Japan. So don't worry Sugu I'll be back." The huffing came closer to the phone on Sugu's side

"Promise?" She asked over the phone.

"I promise" I said obviously. "Now please stop crying. I can't stand it when your not happy."

There was a silence for a moment

"Ok" Sugu said with a clearer voice then before. There was still a hint of tears, but there was a clear difference

"Ok Sugu I have to go now are you going to be ok?" I had to get off the phone because Jake and Shiro started asking me why I was taking so long. Even though Sugu was way higher in my priority list. I couldn't be rude to Shiro who bought me food.

"Yes I'll be ok." She said in a better condition than before. "And Zen" she said to get my attention. I put my ear closer to the phone.

"I love you" she hung up. I dropped the phone into my lap in shock. This was the first time she said I love you to me. She has said that she liked me a lot, but she never has said I love you. Saying I love you was more personal and deep and it meant more. I had warmth in my body and I felt happy.

**End of flashback **

I didn't get to respond she hung up. I wanted to say that I loved her, but she had hung up. I had to go to sleep with my feelings running amuck. It was hard, but eventually my hearts stopped its racing and let me fall asleep.

**Later**

It was my first night in America and I didn't have much problems. The thought of what Sugu said to me distracted me so that I wasn't getting home sick in bed. Because of the thought I was able to sleep well and have a good dream. I was ready for the first day of school that was coming up. I planned on going to school and then the market afterwards so that I could buy the American version of Alfhiem. I had a plan to play with Jake for his first time in the game, but I had to get though school first. The school building was large and was full of people that had richish families. My father didn't want me to become a bigger disgrace to him so he at least sent me to a good school. He didn't want someone to find out that he has a son in a bad school. Once I entered the school there was a stairway to the upstairs classes, and to the left and the right were lockers that lead down a hall and at the end of the hall was the wheelchair ramp. I made my way up the ramp and into my class room 2-C. In the room there were meny desks and in from of the class was a chalk board, in the front by the door was that handicap seat. The handicap seat was the seat that I was going to be taking because it had a place for my wheelchair, but before I can take my seat I had to wait for class to begin so that I can introduce myself.

I wasn't the only one there. every student was taking their seat now talking to one another without stop until the bell rang. Once the bell rang the teacher came in.

The teacher wore a suit and had glasses on. His hair was neat and short. He walked up to the board and looked to the class

"Alright class today we have a new student" he motioned me to come up in which I did

I took the chalk and wrote my name. Once done I turned my chair to look at the class and greeted

"Hello my name is Zen Karafuta nice to meet you all and I hope we can be friends." I looked at the class and they were laughing and pointing. They were defiantly laughing at me, but they weren't pointing at me. They pointed at the board behind me. I turned around and then noticed. I didn't print my name in English. It was printed in Japanese…


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer I do not own SAO just the OCs warning... this arc is going to have a lot of OCs**

**This chapter is written by Railgun Infinity and edited by Persona**

* * *

The entire class laughed at Zen and Zen blushed out of in embarrassment. Everyone was laughing but one person. He just sat there not caring at all and it looked like he was drawing something. After I was introduced the teacher started class I couldn't really understand him that well but i caught onto what he was saying. After 6 hours passed and the bell rang for school to finish. Everyone started leaving talking about what they are going to do and the students all wore wearing uniforms besides one. He just wore a jacket that went down past his waist and his jacket was open what i was able to see were cords going from his pants pockets into his ears and he always had his hood up.

All I was able to see was the tips of his black hair he looked a little intimidating and annoyed so I didn't bother talking to him. I left the class and started to go back to my dorm.

Once I got to the dorm Jake was cleaning the room. Shiro was sitting at his desk playing games on his computer and listening to music. Shiro's bed was done underneath him it still amazed me how Jake can fix Shiro's bed without moving him. After Jake was finished Jake started talking to me about ALO. I talked with him giving advice, telling him everything I've done. Shiro noticed that his bed was clean and messed up his bed again a bit annoyed how Jake fixes it and cleans it. Midnight hit and we finally fell asleep. It was then next day that I swore I was going to get alfhiem online the NA version and I just couldn't wait to play.

Again the next day started to head towards class 2-C my classroom, but it was then something caught my attention. It was the guy that was always silent and had a familiar vibe around him. He was by the door and I was able to hear his music. He turns it down some as I walked near him.

He was able to hear me enter and he knew I was able to hear it. I ignored him and minded my own business. He took his seat first.

I walked passed him and I heard a really loud sigh behind me and I turned around to look at him

He popped his knuckles and shook his hand. He picked up his pencil and begin to draw, but it looked like he was writing. I moved over towards him to see what he was doing and as I got close I noticed his eyes shift for a split second to look at me. After he took a look at me he ignored me and continued as I stared at the drawing. I noticed something about the character he was drawing looked familiar and behind him I saw a bunch of other races. I realized that they were all races from ALO, but before I could say something about it the door flung open and everyone started to walk in. One of the students that walked in was a girl who walked quickly towards the guys desk as she slammed her hands down on his desk

"Hey Zex Zex Zex you were a beta tester for ALO right? Ha! Now you can longer play it alone" she slammed her hand down again showing a copy of Alfhiem. But she when she hit his desk she had also messed up the guys drawing. He looked up at her with a small glare. how he acted and looked spelled you just messed up in vivid colors.

He dropped his pencil then stood up. Slowly he stared at her as she yelled, but as soon as she yelled he started blasting his music again before he spoke.

"Trust...if you're going to say something say it don't yell it its giving me a headache" he let out a sigh as he walked past her and started leaving the class. As he was leaving he walked past the teacher saying

"Mark me as present ill make up for the work after school"

As he said that he left the room, but for a split second he looked at me before leaving. Everyone just stared at the door as their mouth was wide open. One of the students blurted out "so the silent one does talk" By the students reaction I got that the guy didn't talk much, but the drawing he left there was no doubt about it now those are races from ALO. The teacher marked the guys name down and apparently his name is Zex.

The teacher started class and I learned a lot more today which was good. After the final bell everyone starter leaving I started to leave three minutes after the bell. As soon as i opened the door a calm vibe filled the air I got Goosebumps then I started to hear music slowly Zex stood in front of the door way and looked both ways before walking in and shutting it behind him he locked the door and started walking towards me. Whatever this guy wanted with me. He didn't have a nice approach. I got ready for a fight. Even though I was in a wheelchair I did service SAO and I was ready to take this guy on if I had to. He took another step before pulling his hood back showing his face as his black hair looked a bit messy. He turned his music down to only where he can hear it and spoke in Japanese

"Zen its Chris you may not notice me because my hair was pulled back when we met, but this is my hair naturally. By the way I would prefer if you would call me Zex or Zexion." I understood what he said perfectly crystal clear my jaw dropped a little and stared at him with a shocked expression

"Actually I could tell that it was you because that hood you were wearing. Plus I thought you lived in japan" I said with a confused look.

"You see that's a bit complicated I have connections so I can fly to japan and back on special occasions also..."

Zexion went into his backpack and grabbed a case for a video game. After grabbing the case he held it in the air for me to take

"I got you this it's a copy of ALO the last one" I toke the copy from him and stare down at it.

"Thank you"

I had no other way to thank him or express how much it meant to me, but I was interrupted by him saying

"Come on ill help you out and anyone else that wants to tag along" Zexion offered me help

"People here don't know I have a Japanese account so let's keep it a secret. With that being said I'll be right here for help" he said with a small smile walking away unlocking the door and leaving. I can't believe Zexion lives in America.

America isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I've met so many new people and we now all have ALO. I can't wait to play it with everyone.

I left the shook and went back to the dorm. Once I got back to the room I showed jake my copy of ALO he got excited and demanded that we played it that second. How could I say no so I popped the game into the back of the nerve gear and we began

I lied down on my bed. Jake and I then said in sync.

"Link start!"

The world around me disappeared as colors flooded all around me. The system went through menu different settings until I was on a blue platform. Above me in the sky was the words Alfhiem Online. The words in front of me were start game. I used my finger to push on the start game and the words disappeared. What replaced it were the nine races that made up the game. I made a new character named Zen unlike when my character's name was Zeak in the Japanese version and I went with undine again cause it's my favorite race. Before I entered the world the patch note popped up and warned me of the new patch to Alfhiem. Alfhiem has new magic, weapons, there is now eight great cities that races can co-exist, and there is a new skill. The skill is the complete version of the mode system like my shark drake mode.

There is a skill that will allow a player to assume a true form like mine and Kagura's forms. The forms were unique and were made by the players personality and fighting style. Ventus Regnum were the beta testers for this mode. The only hard part to obtaining the forms is that they are obtained by completing a really hard quest once a player has reached max level in Alfhiem which was 200. Once I entered the world the first person I saw was Jake.

Jake made a account and his name was well, Jake. He kept it simple... figures. s we got in everything was huge we weren't in any major cities, but a small town called the town of the children. The town was small and is new to the Japanese version so I could tell that American version is up to date with the Japanese version. It felt great to be back. Jake was the same class Kagura picked but for some reason every time I look at Jake I saw a bit of Kagura which wasn't right cause the two look nothing alike. When I opened my status menu I saw something strange. My level was 105 the same level of my old SAO account. The one that got kick from the server by Kiaba... It must have had something to do with Alfhiem being a product that was born from SAO. It was cool, but I had to get rid of the items that weren't compatible with Alfhiem. The items were marked as ? and if I didn't get rid of them I might be accused of hacking. After the items were gone I put my account to private so that people wouldn't see that I just began the game and u was already level 108. Once I was done I turned to Jake and asked him

"So what do you think does it look good" Jake replied

"Yea it looks good I can almost live here and everything is so neat and clean not only that but the babes are hot here"

I face palmed leaving a print on my forehead great so he's a flirt like Kagura... lovely this is going to be a fun time. As I laughed to myself I saw a cat sith fly right over us it flew so fast i wasn't able to see the person's name. The only thing I knew is that it was part of the cat sith race and it had a fox familiar. I saw the flight line from the wings vanish knowing the direction it headed and then a big gust of wind was kicked up. The gust of wind was so strong it sounded like it was howling.

Jake looked at me surprised and stood there not knowing what had happened or what he saw

"What was that" he said staring at me

"Apparently it was a player but I've never seen one move that fast i wonder where he is headed he's heading into the cat sith territory but i wonder if something's happening"

I stood there for a second thinking

"Jake lets go "I told him lifting into the air he looked at me with confusion in his eyes

"Um Zen how do i fly?" He asked embarrassed.

I gently floated to the ground

"It's simple just imagine that you have limbs on your back and try to make them move just try not to crash into anyone" I watched him as he started to try to fly he was a bit wobbly and crazy at first, but after at least 4 retries he got the hang of it.

"Alright now let's go" I said as we both started to fly in the direction of the cat sith territory. Once we got there we saw a man with a black cloak. He wore his hood up and the cloak went down to the back of his thighs. On his waist he had a belt on and around his belt were nine daggers. On his cloak near the pockets were his two daggers, his ears were black and same with his tail color. He had black medium length hair and his familiar was a fox and above it showed its name its name was Inazuma which meant lightning I tried to check the guys level but he had it all set to private he must have been a beta tester. The man was bent down petting his familiar, talking to it and was giving it something to eat. As he finished he stood up as his yellow wings faded into data. He put his hands in his pockets and began to walk into the town. As he turned and looked over his shoulder he saw us following and stopped to face us.

"Stop!" he yelled "I won't allow you to come further you two do know the rules of entering another territory right?" I spoke up and yelled back at him

"I'm well aware of what the rules are if another race enters another's territory the defending race has the right to kick them out or kill them" i said loudly.

He had a smirk on his face and let out a laugh

"Well... Looks like you do know. Anyways if you really want through I guess i'll lead you through i'll just say your with me and guide you through. If you need help with anything then go ahead and ask. I don't mind helping out others just don't ask much of me. Oh yea I'm a bit of a solo player so I'm pretty high leveled so I'll just weaken the enemy and you guys can kill it and get the experience I don't need it" he said as he waved his hand side to side. He invited us to a party but when i looked at his name it had a question mark

"hmmm ? and Jake interesting names."

"If you tell me your name I'll tell you mine." I told the man.

"Let's not" he said calmly "alright I'm ready when you are. Just pick the location and ill follow" I looked at him. This guy is so weird not very many beta testers would do this

"Come on I'm getting bored if we don't do anything i may pass out he said yawning. I checked the map and tried to find the hard area, but then I remembered that I had Jake with me who was just starting out. He wouldn't be able to handle the quests I was thinking. I had to pick the beginning area

"Actually just go I remember I had something I had to do" I looked over my shoulder to see him swipe down his finger as a message popped up saying he left the party. The man bursted into data. The guy was weird, but it was interesting to see him. It was time to have a great start in this new server, but i now know I'm no longer alone. I have Zexion in America, I have Jake my beginner friend and I have Shiro I think, but America isn't all that bad as I thought it was going to be. This is the start of a new account and friends. I looked up into the air raising my hand before closing it forming it into a fist

"This is a new beginning. Let's do this!" I yelled happily.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer I do not own SAO or Alfhiem.**

The beginning areas in Alfhiem were new in this update. The first area was called the field of beginners. The field of beginners was a training ground for players level one through five. Being level 108 made it hard for me to help Jake with the kills so I decided that I wasn't going to attack, just instruct. Jake asked me to teach him how to play the game and that's what I planned on doing.

Jake was level one and bought a spear first thing when he came to this world. The spear would be good against a lot of mobs in the beginning area. The long reach would keep Jake out of harm's way. The area was a big field and the landscape stretched on for miles and miles. The area had flat ground that would weave into hills perfectly so that a player wouldn't be able to tell that this was a game. The mobs on the field were usually the typical giant hornet or man eater plants.

There wasn't much to teach Jake because how good you are with the weapons isn't some program. There is no weapon assist program like in GGO which is why levels don't matter as much in Alfhiem. Levels didn't make or break a fight. All that levels improved were a player's chances. If a player that knows Kendo level five fights a player that doesn't and is level thirty doesn't mean the level thirty is going to win. If the player fights better and doesn't get hit the battle is winnable. Just because a players level is high doesn't mean that they are good at the game. The player that knows Kendo his skills transition into the game. . When it comes to weapons, if a person knows how to slash a sword horizontally in real life he knows how to in Alfhiem, if he doesn't he won't be able to in Alfhiem. Weapons are more based on real life skill, but that isn't to say that if a player does not know how to use a weapon in real life that player can't learn in Alfhiem plus once a player gets better in Alfhiem some of that skill transitions into the real world. There were weapon skills and special attacks, but if a player was good enough with the weapon they could parry the skill. Things like blacksmithing level as you blacksmith more. One of the reasons Sugu was good in Alfhiem was because she is a great Kendo player. I had SAO to help so I had some experience with a sword and crossbow. Jake on the other hand… had no experience in using a spear.

Jake was struggling to kill a bee. He flailed his spear round and round. He would hit the bee, but not with the blade.

"Jake! Relax!" I startled the bald man. "Take the spear and just stab the thing" I told him smoothly. The mobs in the field of beginning had really weak AI and only acted every twenty second interval. It was literally impossible to die to them because they did less damage then a player's health regen at level one. All one had to do was stab or slash them for five seconds to kill them. The mobs were more tutorials for beginners then actual mobs. The bees were here to teak the player how to hit a moving object because the things wouldn't hold still. The man eater plants were mobs that didn't move, but they fought back more. Jake would stab and one of the vines from the plant would whip around and snap him back in the face. After a certain amount of time the plant would shoot a seed from its mouth and would cause a bleed effect or also known as a damage over time effect that would slowly drain a players health. Thought the bees weren't at all trouble the plants gave Jake some trouble. He loved to lead in with a stab into the mouth. It was a good strategy because when that happens any chance that the plant would open up with its ability goes to zero if Jake attacks the place it came out of. After Jake had done the first blow he would slash at its vines so that it wouldn't be able to use them. Once he saw the plant recover from the initial stab and start up its ability Jake would feed it his spear again putting the attack back on cool down. He did this in rinse and repeat. I could see his slashes becoming more natural. At the end of the day we got Jake to level four and got a damage over time skill that's really rare and only can be obtained by a rare drop from the man eater plants. Even though I didn't do much I didn't care much because on the way back we saw a cat sith trying to solo the field boss and was failing. She used the weapon knuckles and took the stance like she knows how to brawl. She was fighting a field boss. Field bosses were bosses that hang around the field and not at the end of the dungeon. Most field bosses were a lot harder than the main dungeon boss and required someone have a raid party or were really good with they're weapon. Another way that someone could safely do a field boss is if someone was at least five times the level suggestion of the field. We decided to go in and help

The boss was named the queen bee she looked like a giant hornet and had arms that hung under her that had stingers. She was level twenty five and had the passive poison touch. If the skin of an avatar came into contact of the queen they would be poisoned badly. Poison was the status ailment I hated the most. I was sick that it even existed. I brought out a sword so I could improve on my sword skills. I could have used my bow, but the thing would have died way too easily. The difference between bows and crossbows like mine is the fact that bows can fire off more ammo, but crossbows given their huge size and power can fire a lot less shots. In the time a bow can fire ten shots a cross bow can fire two, but the difference in power is ridiculous. I prefer to use the crossbow and it has been my main weapon since SAO, but because of the long reload time I also use a sword so that I am able to protect myself if an enemy approaches.

Getting back to the fight the bee queen charged at the girl. Jake instantly ran in and parried the stingers. Once blocked the girl sidestepped and hit the bee in the face with the beginner knuckles she had on. The beginner knuckles didn't cover the whole hand so she got poisoned. I started chanting a cure spell to get rid of the poison fast. The good thing about being Undine is that they have great healing magic. Once the chant was finished her status was gone. After the spell was done I moved to the front lines. Being level 108 my slashes did chunks. If I had a better sword then the beginner sword this battle would have been over already. I brought the boss down to a low health and the girl finished it. With my level the boss fight felt likes cheating, but it had to be done. Jake and the girl being new to the game wouldn't have been able to take the thing on. All the experience went to the girl because the party was set to exp to the killer so that Jake could get solo exp. Before I went into the battle I should have changed it to the party splits the exp, but I was caught in the moment and forget to.

"I didn't need your help." The girl had black long hair down to her waist. Her ears were cat ears because of the race she had chosen and her armor was light so that she could move around fast with her knuckles.

"Yes you did" Jake put it bluntly trying to dust off all his equipment so that it would shine. The girl growled in frustration

"Whatever" she yelled as she walked away twirling her cat ears "Thanks for the free ten levels!" she mocked and then teleported out. The girl seemed familiar like I had seen her somewhere.

"I feel like I know her from somewhere do you know?" I asked Jake

He finished dusting off his armor and turned to me "Maybe from school? Only if your avatar looked like your real body" Jake mumbled but was incorrect because in Alfhiem a persona base avatar now looked like their real bodies.

"Your character does look like your real life body Jake" I corrected him

"Not yours" he talked back. I didn't know what he meant until I looked into my status menu. My avatar looked like the one I made for SAO before it went wrong and Kiaba changed our looks. I did not want this. In fact as soon as I got to the town I paid a lot for an appearance change potion and changed my look to look like the real me. Jake left after my little appearance change because he wanted to clean the room before he went to bed. and he left right before something happened.

In the air yelled an announcer for Alfhiem

"Hello everyone! I hope you've been enjoying your Alfhiem experience because now there is going to be a grand competition. This competition is to celebrate the success of Alfhiem finally being totally globalized. This competition is going to be a battle that all the greatest guilds will take part in. The only requirements is that your are able to travel, your guild is one of the top ten guilds, and you have a team of five that are the max level. The prize for this event is that the company Exes Core will grant you any wish within their power. That is it for the event description. I am aware for the regions that just got the game there might not be people that are max level yet. We have a special one time event for those people that will take a number of days. This even is the hardest event that Alfhiem has to offer and it would well prove that you deserve a part in this competition. This event will open up in four days and have a minimum and maximum requirement of five players. Thanks for all your time fairies. There are only two guilds that are confirmed for the competition. Ventus Regnum, and Cerc De Crazy! Will the other spots be yours fairies? Good luck!"

After that bit. My mind turned off all I could think was…

Sh~

**To be continued**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer I do not own SAO just the OCs **

**Shiro's POV**

The mountains were cold, but not cold that I couldn't handle it. The mountains in this area were higher than the clouds, but a player wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the mountains and the clouds because of how snowy they were. I held on to my coat and used it to cover my face as I scaled the mountains. I just wanted to complete a quest peacefully, but no plan ever works out perfectly. Five yetis jumped out of the snow. The health bars appeared above the things and on top of the bars read Ice Giant and to the right of the name was the level of the creature. Level fifty-five they were under my level and not even worth the time killing for experience. I started chanting as I walked past the creatures trying to ignore them. I loaded up a spell just in case they jumped on me. I didn't want to waste the mana, and I was already having a sour day. I wasn't going to take these things out without using skills because it would take too much effort and time. Thankfully, the Giants knew the level difference between them and me. They backed off without a fight or at least I wished they left without a fight. They saw the level difference and they wanted to do a sneak attack… what novice mobs. I realized my spell. The element was gravity and if brought all of them to the ground. The whole pack

I knew if I let them live they would just bother me again so I didn't let up the spell until they popped like a grape. The experience for the whole pack was not even enough to make any of that worth it. If I wanted to level up by farming these yetis I would have to repeat that process over forty thousand times. Well… with the amount of times I had to do this quest I may have leveled up by now.

At the top of the mountain was a cabin. That cabin was the home to an NPC aka none player character. She had this set line that I've listened to hundreds of times, but the reason I do this quest so much is so that I can hear her line that only happens on occasions. When she says these lines she gives out an item that I need. So I enter the cabin and I saw her at her usual spot. The cabin was small. It only had two rooms one for resting and one that was a kitchen with a table to eat at. The girl sat at her usual spot at the kitchen the chair in the back looking towards the door. She had a winter jacket on and her snow white hair was long enough it was able to tickle the ground while she was sitting down. I sat down in front of her.

"Hello fairy." She greeted with a smile.

"Hi" I greeted back

"Are you here to give me company?" this was her first line. It was the dialog that began the quest

"Yes mam I'm here for the quest." I wanted to be polite even though this quest sickened me.

"Thank you sir…" This was different. It was the same line as before, but she was a bit gloomy when she said it "Why are you always accepting my quest?" she asked me. Was this it? Was I finally going to get my item?

"It's because I want the weapon from this quest mam." This was definitely a different conversation log.

"Stop being polite to me!" she slammed hit the table with both her palms "I'm sorry, but you are not a person a can give this weapon to." What! What did I do wrong this time did I get this dialog wrong? Do I have to wait until the system gives me this conversation route again?

"You have to be kidding me!" I stood up in frustration.

"Four Hundred fifty eight times." She stated "That is how many times you have accepted my quest not caring about the quest… just the reward. You might as well quit because I'm not going to give you the legendary halberd as long as you're like the way you are. You may think I'm just a NPC with set conversations, but no I'm an intelligent life form! I'm an AI! You may think my quest is a mockery, but I don't… I'm honestly very lonely… and you are not one who can fill my need…" she then went to the door and opened it

"You should leave now… and don't come back." she was kicking me out… I didn't argue with the stupid NPC… I got up and walked myself out of the cabin. Once outside the door was shut behind me. I cursed the woman. She knew what I was after and was intelligent, but even so she led me on saying the same lines… I don't even care about the weapon anymore! I swiped my finger down to open the game menu and logged out.

The world around me disappeared as the real world appeared replacing the old. I was on my bed lying down and in front of my covering my eyes was the nerve gear. I took the helmet off to see that my bed was clean again. The idiot had cleaned my bed. When was he going to learn! I got off my bed and messed it up. Once my bed was messed up I went on my computer to see if any other quests could give me a legendary halberd. A quest that wouldn't waste my time

My name is Shiro Hazaki

Age 18

My weapon of choice is a halberd paired with a shield. I like to do gravity magic as well

My race is Imp

I hate wasting time and I like to analyze situations. If the situation is unwinnable or has no profit why go for it?

My values are the people in the world that aren't stupid and my time

Once again I'm Shiro and this is my point of view


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer I do not own SAO!**

**This chapter is brought to you by Railgun and edited by Persona**

zexion's point of view

As I swiped down my finger I looked over at Jake and (?). I began to log out before they looked over at me everything faded back to normal as I laid there on my bed. I started to take off my nerve gear to get ready to go to sleep because I had plans with Trust and it was going to be a long day so I wanted some sleep. Early the next morning I was woken up by someone knocking on my door. As I got up to answer it my eyes were droopy. I opened the door the light hit my eyes as I began to hiss at it. After a few seconds I covered my eyes to see Trust at my door. She had long black hair going to her hips, she was wearing a black shirt, and had black shorts on.

"Hiya Zex are you ready for our plans today" I scratched the back of my head and let out a sigh

"Yea I guess just please pay attention I don't like repeating myself" I told her to come in. I lived alone so I didn't have to worry about a lot of noise and distractions and I also didn't have to worry about other people. I lived far away from most people besides Trust. She lived a few blocks from me she wasn't that far. She came in she set her stuff down and started getting everything set up. As she set up I went into the kitchen and started to make some tea. I'm mainly a relaxed calm quiet type person. I made some for Trust and I went back to my room where she had everything set up

"What took you so long" she asked. I looked at her and offered her a cup of the tea I made for her

"I thought you might be a little thirsty so I made you some" she took the cup and started to act a little awkward as she stared down at it

"Thank you" she replied,

"So when do you want to start cause I'm ready whenever you are" She said as she looked at me

"Right now is good" I looked at her and gave her the bed while I laid down on the ground. We started to put the nerve gears on our heads and got situated as we both counted down 3...2...1…

"Linku starto" I accidentally slurred the word as everything around us turned black and colors filled the world I spawned back to the area where I last logged out. I looked around and let a sigh greaaaaaat so we never got each other's names and we don't know where each other's at. I was right when I said this was going to be a long day… I flipped my hood up and put my hands in my pocket and turned away from the cat siths territory and started to go to the fields. When walked I had inazuma by my side following. I looked down at him and petted him with a gentle smile

"Well at least I still have you to company me" he rubbed his head against my hand as I slowly stopped I felt his fur stick up and a small spark went off from his fur. My head jolted up quickly to see a cat sith about to get into a fight with at least nine salamanders and they were all at least level thirty-five it wasn't a fair fight. I began to walk towards them my hands in my pocket as I began to talk to them

"You know it's not fair to pick on one girl you should take me instead" After I had tried to protect the girl she yelled at me

"Shut up and get the hell out of here I don't need your help this is my problem not yours" I realized this voice and turned around to see the avatar it was Trust's avatar and above her name read Trist. I pulled my hood back to reveal my face as she looked at me she began to act like her usual self and yelled at me again

"How dare you leave me alone like that! You better make up for leaving me alone!" I let out a sigh as I walked in front of her and told her to turn around and run away on my mark. One of the salamanders walked forwards and laughed

"Oh so is your knight finally here?" I smirked and put my hand over my face. I laughed laughed a little as I then reached back and pulled my hood up. My smirk getting a bit bigger trying to make me seem crazy and intimidate them so we didn't have to fight

"Oh I'm nowhere near a knight in fact I only care about this girl because she's part of my race. That and I hate it when guys pick on girls…" I looked through them with my golden yellow eyes letting them know I'm stronger than them and they didn't exist to me. One of them took a step back as the strongest one stared right back me

"Oh that look in your eyes says you want to fight" he pulled out a claymore. I let out a sigh as I turned around to look at Trist

"Well it looks like I was unable to avoid this for us but please...stay ba-" the man swung his claymore down at me as I side stepped and dodged it. After I dodged it I put a foot on his claymore looking back at him with my hands still in my pockets

"Please I really don't want to fight, but if you continue you leave me no choice" I stepped off his claymore and began to walk towards Trist as I was interrupted and the salamanders surrounded me. This was getting annoying and I was close to snapping as I started to bounce around in place. I stopped as I saw one of the salamanders swing at my pet and before the swing got mid-way. I was already in the salamanders face my eyes glowing a golden yellow as I begin to growl and my voice raised

"I said I don't want to fight!" I brought up my leg kneeing the salamander in the stomach then doing a round house kick making him fly back into a tree. On impact the tree snapped in half. The salamander begins to recover and I threw a dagger straight into his forehead. As he bursted into data I began to guide the dagger back to my hand. I held the dagger in my hand back handed as I removed my other hand from my pocket. I took out another dagger and held both daggers back handed as I let out a sigh

"last warning I said back off" two of them charged me as I dashed straight between them in a blink of an eye I was already in front of another one that was behind the two. I swept his leg and I punched him down towards the ground driving my hand straight threw him. I looked over and saw one of the salamanders he ran by swing down at me as I rolled left and dashed straight at him I slid under his legs as I turned around throwing a dagger straight into the back of his head. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the leader run at me. I saw another salamander swing at me. I dodged it in time to get away and look at how many I've killed. I stood there facing six of them and took my two daggers sheathed them putting them back near my jacket's pockets. I put a hand on my hip and waved my hand side to side and I stood there glaring at them letting them know I'm being serious. A heavy armored one stepped up and started running I looked down and I clenched my fist. I pulled back my cloak to reveal nine daggers I pulled one off from the belt and held it in my hand. I went straight past the leader as there was a loud crack then a boom. The leader was cut clean in half and in the cut were sparks of electricity sparking off his body like crazy. I pulled out five daggers and threw them straight into the last five salamander's legs. They hit the ground laying there paralyzed as sparks of electricity went through their body's shocking them. Staring down at them I picked one up. I kneed him in the stomach then kicked him away like I did the first one. I pulled the dagger from his leg using my electricity like a magnet and he bursts into data. I walk up to the next one throwing the dagger I just got straight into his head. As I bend down and pick up the two daggers and puts them back onto my belt I stare down at the last three.

"If I let you go will you leave us alone?" all of them nodded as I pulled the three daggers out from their legs leaving them in yellow health. I put all nine daggers back on my belt, but I heard footsteps from one behind me

"You're so annoying just die!" I turn around taking the dagger by my cloak's pocket out blocking his strike as I then kick him in the stomach grabbing his face and slamming his head into the ground. He burst into data and the other two just started backing away. I glared at them and they finally ran off. Once the battle was over I put my dagger back into my pocket as I then turn to see Trist. But before I could say anything she slapped me across the face and left a red hand print that was on my cheek. She started to yell at me

"What the hell was that?! Coming in here acting like your big and bad!" I let out a sigh and I didn't know how to respond. So I just sent her a friend requests

"Trist please stop yelling its giving me a head ach" She just stared at me. The battle was finally over so now I could teach her a little along the way to the boss. She asked me questions to which I responded and gave her advice. She was a good fighter which surprised me. We went into a dungeon and this is when I got to see her actually fight. I equipped my weakest weapon which was a beginner's sword and we started going through slashing and killing mobs until we got to a mob that was really annoying. You couldn't get to close or they latch on and they start to destroy and eat your armor. I started to explain to Trist that she had to be careful, but before I could she went running at them she started punching them. They latched onto her and began to eat her armor away and before I knew it she only had two pieces covering her body. I had inazuma use some lightning magic to kill them as I started to approach Trist. She started flailing her arms at me

"D-D-Don't look at me!" I brought up my menu and gave her my starting gear she equipped and we began to move on. T

The boss was a weird one and one I didn't remember. It was a blue slime and an angel the angel had a spear and it was weird seeing a boss like this. It wasn't in the American beta so it surprised me. Trist ran in, but the ground was a little slippery due to the blue slime. We had to be careful because the angel would cast spells at us as we ran and started slashing at it. It would block all my attacks Trist jumped out of nowhere slamming her fist into the angel from behind. The angel hit the ground and bounced back up. For some reason the angel wasn't attacking so we decided to attack the slime, but it was weird why the slime was even here. We weakened the slime but something strange happened. The slime and the angel began to fuse together. I had a confused looked on my face and when it was done being fused it was a blue slime...really I thought to myself that this was such a stupid boss. I walked up to it and went to slash it, but it dispersed into fifteen blue angels. They were water elemented. I let Trist take on a few of them because they were pretty easy to kill. While Trist had a few of them I made Inazuma cast a lighting spell which killed almost all of them, but one the angel then started to get bigger as it got two health bars. I looked at inazuma and he knew what I wanted him to do. He let out a big spark of electricity which covered the whole area which was small. Trist's and I's weapons gained a buff which added lighting attribute to our attacks. Trist began to punch the boss and its health was going down fast. As it casted low water level spells at both of us we dodged it and began to attack. We finally killed it and Trist got the last kill bonus. She leveled up at least two times which was good and she got a rare drop which was even better. Even thought we had cleared the dungeon she had a confused look on her face. She turned and looked at me and asked

"Zexion what level are you?" That surprised me and I choked a bit. I stared at her it was against my nature to lie to a girl so I told her "I'm level one-hundred-ninety-five" her eyes went wide as I swept my finger down to reequip my daggers. We started to exit the cave which leads back to a mountain region.

"Let's go back to town and log out" I muttered to her. She nodded in confirmation and we made our way back to town and logged out. Everything went back to normal and we took off our nerve gear and relaxed a bit. It was at least three hours to midnight so I let her stay the night. She was okay with it and so was I. We were child hood friends so I didn't see a problem with it. Lying down she let out a yawn and started falling asleep. After she fell asleep I just laid there silently thinking to myself before finally falling asleep…


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer I do not own SAO**

I was in class. Just dozing off thinking of the different ways I could go about this competition. On way would be to join one of the top guilds which didn't sound appealing to me. I didn't want to bother with working my way up to the top five positions of the guild just to compete. My only other option was to make a guild of my own. The problem with that is that I would have to get a team of five and have them all level 200. I wasn't even there myself yet. Of course that there is going to be the event that should have enough exp to get people even people who are just beginning to max. The quest would take weeks of real life time though. Even after someone were to complete the quest and get a team to level 200 they would have to work to be one of the top ten guilds. Could I do that? Could I make a team or a guild that could complete the quest and get to max? I don't know if I had the leadership or the power. The only two people I know that could be near max level were Zexion and Shiro. I have never seen either of them play.

"Hello!" a voice yelled into my ear waking me from my trance. I looked up to see Jake, but something was different about him. He had hair… not much, but there was definitely hair.

"Are you going to cut your hair?" I asked him in wonder of why he hasn't already

"No I'm not!" he yelled in annoyance. He looked to the side and then mumbled "The only reason it was bald in the first place is because I lost a bet with Shiro…" His face became red and I started cracking up. I had also forgotten that Jake goes to my school, but he was two years younger so he didn't take the same classes as me.

"Dude you need to clean your desk." He noticed the marks on my desk and immediately started to scrape them with his finger. Jake could be a member, but with his level it would be hard to do the quest to level him to 200. The quest would already take weeks of real life time. Plus I would have to teach him how to legitly fight against something that would fight back. What am I thinking? I had no time to be picky about the members.

"Jake do you want to be a part of my guild in Alfhiem? I want to join a competition and I need five members" His eyes went immediately went from the desk to me

"Really?" He asked in wonder. He took his finger away from my desk and grabbed my shoulders with both his hands. "You want me?" he shook me back and forth in wonder. "You want me?" … and now he was repeating

"You wan~"

"Yes I want you!" I yelled a little too loud getting the attention of the class. They all looked at me and Jake as I was in his hands.

"No I didn't mean it like that!? I'm not~" before I could finish people were already whispering sending rumors throughout the school.

I face palmed "…Great" I muttered not taking my hand away from my face. "Just great…"

I heard Zexion snicker from the back of the class

"Zexion!? Not you too!" I give up! This class was annoying… I couldn't wait to get back to Japan once I graduate. Class started soon afterwards and ended a little while later. Once class was over I wanted to talk to Zexion about the guild. He was in front of the school building talking to that girl that he always talks to. She had long black hair all the way down to her… yup I just realized… That is the knuckles girl that Jake and I helped out.

"Yo Zexion!" I called out to him as I approached. Zexion had just a t-shirt on today and I personally thought he looked better that way

"Zexion no jacket?" I popped the question "Usually you just standing there with your hood on and like" I pause for a second with my hands pretending to be in jacket pockets with a little frown on my face "Sup." I tried to imitate Zexion's voice, but failed.

"Trust spent the night and put my jacket in the wash… and I don't sound like that…" He grumbled and I fell back in my wheelchair laughing, but then sat back up bit sad. That joke was not something I would usually say, but I have been missing Kagura… so the joke kind of reminded me of him.

"Hay Zexion I~" before I could ask him if he wanted to join my guild he interrupted me

"Yea I'll join your guild." He shrugged giving me a calm feeling

"I guess that makes me in your guild too!" Trust made her way into our conversation "Zexion hasn't finished teaching me how to play the game yet so I'm going where he is going!"

"I'm fine with that" I nervously laughed. With Trust and Zexion the guild now had four members. For a guild to be official a person needs seven a complete party. The competition only requires five to be on a team, but a guild has to have at least seven members. So if I got Shiro on my team that would make five. I should actually ask him if he was on a guild

"Guys… I have to go" I left Zexion and Trust and started heading towards the dorm. I made my way past the café and supermarket the two things that I haven't even visited yet and got to the front of the door of the dorm. I entered and greeted the help service people at the front. After I made my way to the left of the desk into the elevator taking it to the second floor and exiting it to get to my room.

Sure enough as soon as I opened my door I saw Shiro on his messy bed. He was on his computer looking at sites that had quest information about Alfhiem

"That can't be the only quest!" he raised his voice, but after he raised his voice he noticed I was in the room and put his eyes back on the computer.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Exiting the site so he could look for another site with quest information. His little outburst made me a bit doubtful of asking him "Sorry" he apologized again "I'm a bit mad because I had don't a quest hundreds of times for nothing." Once he had said that I kind of understood his anger.

"I don't suppose you have a guild?" he asked me knowing that I played Alfhiem

"Yes I do. Why?" I wondered why he wanted to know if I had a guild. Did that mean he was interested?

"Can I join?" Shiro made asking him a whole lot easier than I thought

"Yes!" I said happily, but also I wondered something "Why do you want to be a part of my guild?"

He closed his laptop "Because a NPC won't give me something I need… and I'm going to use this competition to get the wish from Exes Cores and force her to give me the item with a bright little smile on her face." His motives… weren't right at all, but he was the only person I know that could fill a spot in the guild.

**Later**

Jake came into the dorm with his school bag and he set it in its proper place near his bed in a straight position. Afterwards he came up to me.

"Hay Zen did you see this?" he handed me a piece of paper. The paper was from the school. It had a spot at the bottom where a person could sign and at the top it read.

Field Trip to Japan

**Hello this is Persona and I just have to tell the viewers this so that no one gets confused. This story is going to be mostly Zen's point of view, but for the times that it is not in Zen's in the beginning of each chapter I will write whose point of view the chapter will be on. The only points of view that there will ever be is Zen's, Zexion's, and Shiro's because this arc is going to focus around them mostly until later on. If it doesn't say the point of view it will be Zen's point of view by default. Thanks for reading**


	37. Chapter 37

I was on the plane and almost every student was shouting field trip repeatedly as the plane took off. The students weren't all like this until Jake started shouting field trip to the left of me. He was excited because he had never been to Japan. All the students were going to be staying at a hotel. The whole class was excited and I couldn't lie I was very excited too. The problem is after we land we will be taking buses to place to place and we will only be in my town for one day. I planned on spending that entire day with Sugu. But the rest of the time was going to be with the class on tours. Even though I knew Japan. We would get a few hours of free time each day and I planned on using that for playing the Japanese version of Alfhiem.

The plane bumped and I clenched onto my chair. I still was afraid of planes, but with Jake it was a little better. He was very cheerful and never let a conversation die. He took the window seat next to me. On the other side Shiro was sitting down at the end so he could talk to me. He constantly kept me distracted from the plane by talking about Alfhiem and some of the unique quests he has went on. Alfhiem was controlled by a program that would create randomly generated quests. It was a system that made Alfhiem unique from other VRMMOs. It always had something new to do and with the fact that players get some form that is unique to them once they hit max level made the game a whole lot more popular then it was. It seemed there wasn't a day when something new wasn't found in Alfhiem. The game went up the list to number one in popularity with second being GGO. Alfhiem was also one of the hardest games to be the best at because there are so many things that are unique that players can obtain.

It was hard to find a story in alfhiem that can be heard somewhere else. Shiro is the only person who I know who has tried to do a quest that has been completed. Apparently there is a cabin in the frozen region. In this cabin, there is a girl looking for company and there was no adventure that could satisfy her need for company. That is until recently on boards there was a post that an adventure had complete the mission and has gotten the only legendary halberd that there is in alfhiem for the time being. Shiro uses halberds so he has tried to do the mission that the guy has completed hundreds of times and got rejected on his final time.

On my side I told Shiro about SAO. He wasn't one of the players so he had just heard about it. So I told him about all of the stories that I had about that game. All, but one. The plane ride didn't nearly take as long as the last time, or at least it didn't seem like it. We were already off the plane and we had a volunteer take my bags to the hotel the school was staying at. The hotel had the same look as the dorms… except it had white walls and floors… my favorite. I made my way to the elevator and to my room. The class had nothing planned for today so I planned on going straight to Alfhiem. I got help from Jake my roommate to help me in bed as I put on the headset. I logged in. everything was replaced with the world of alfhiem and I had a target. I had to get people for my new guild

Once I got into the game I instantly made my way to the boards. I wanted to see if there were any rumors that could lead to a quest that no one has completed yet. There was something interesting that I had found on that board. There was a strong player that stood by a tree at three. This player was referred to a Zekken and had a special skill where she strikes once and hits eleven times.

I quickly made my way to the tree because it was already two-forty-five

Luckily I was able to make it. Zekken was a girl she was the imp race and she was fast.

She took people out so fast I would blink and she would already be on the next fight. Her health never went below 80% and she had composure. I was getting excited. Fight after fight I kept getting closer until I was the next one to battle. I just had to wait as she mopped the floor with a player. I was on my Japanese account so I was on a character I was comfortable using unlike the American one. I checked my equipment as she destroyed her opponent. It was my turn now I equipped a sword in my left and a small one handed crossbow in my right.

The prize for beating her was her skill. I planned on winning at taking that skill I walked up to her and she saw the look in my eyes and smiled.

"So how do you want to battle" she smirked pulling down her screen.

"Standard rules" I replied readying my weapons. She laughed and replied with an ok as she started the timer.

The timer clicked slowly as we stared into each other's eyes. Once the timer finished she was the first to charge. She took note that I had a crossbow and because of that I would have a hard time close up. What she didn't know is that I don't care if anyone tries to fight me close up. I can fight that way too. She slashed vertically and I used the steel end on my crossbow to block. While our weapons clashed I took a swing at her from my sword. She jumped back but the blow was able to take fabric from her armor. I didn't score any damage, but I left a message. I was better then anyone she has faced so far. I wasn't going to lose to such simple tactics.

She looked at the torn fabric and her smirk got bigger. She got into a ready position and gave me the "bring it on" gesture. She was enticing me to fire at her. I couldn't lie her smirking cocky attitude made me want to fire at her so bad that I did it. I fired, but she didn't move from her spot. She cut the arrow through the middle as it came near her and let me say crossbow arrows don't go slow. It was an amazing feet if you were able to cut one while it was fired at you. Once she cut the arrow the two pieces went off course hitting two different spots of ground behind her making a cloud of dust that covered the field. I fired another shot, but this time I followed the arrow if she planned on blocking the arrow she had me to deal with this time. charging at her I loaded another arrow because reloading wasn't a problem for small crossbows. She dodged the arrow by sidestepping to the left and charged at me. I swing down she dodged it by ducking. She stabbed, but I didn't dodge. I took the blow on purpose. The blade went through my side. She wouldn't be able to move now. I charged a skill and plunged my blade into her knee going all the way through and lodging the blade into the ground. I locked her in place. She took her blade out of me, but it was too late. My cross bow was

Already pointed at her heart. I fired. This would have wine me the duel, but she cut her leg off so that she could move. She rolled dodging the arrow. Charging her special skill and lunged at me. I didn't want to go out like this so I whispered

"Shark drake mode" a blue aura covered me and shaped into a shark like cloak. I then took her blade with my teeth. Charging an ice skill through my crossbow. My bow took on a form and was covered in the same cloak as me.

I was going to win this time she had no leg to dodge this one and if she wanted to leave she would have to drop her sword giving me the match.

System disconnected. I read in front of my face.

The world of Alfhiem was pulled away from me forcefully and I was force knot the real world. I took of the headset and sat up.

There was a teacher with the headset's port in his hand

He stood there with a sorry look on his face.

"Sorry, but it's lights out"

I didn't realize what time it was and had forgotten about lights out... Crap.


	38. Chapter 38

Zexion POV

It was nice and quiet at my area. No school and no one to bother me so I decided to lie down and play alfhiem to do a few quests. Once I logged in my world vanished around me and was replace with a multitude of colors shapes started appearing around me and objects started to burst forth. Alfhiem took the place of the world. Once I was in I started a quest that had a long chain. I knew I was going to be here all night and I didn't mind so I started to head towards the first location. I walked out into the fields and started killing mobs that got in my way they were about level forty and they were dying with one hit so it was rather fast and easy. The enemies got tougher the closer I got but they were still easy to kill. I went and got the item I needed and a second quest popped up. I accepted and this time it told me to go to the snowy mountains this was going to be a long trip so I prepared myself for it before leaving.

I ran into a really high leveled guild there were two girls that looked rather shorter then someone of average height and they were cait siths like me. Behind them there was guy that was cait sith as well. The guy had brown spiked hair and had what looked like tribal paint on his cheeks. His armor was a tribal style heavy set and he held a lance. The girls looked like each other except one had short blue hair to her shoulders on her cat ears she has ribbon tied into a bow and the other had black hair with a blond strand short hair that goes just past the ears and on the side of her hair she has a little red string that is tied to a bell. The two could have been twins they looked so similar for reasons that didn't include the hair.

As I walked past them I heard one of the girls shriek and I turned around to see one of the girls blushing. Her shirt was being tugged by the other. The skirt was being tugged so hard it was almost to the point that it was revealing. Well it would have, but the one being tugged forced down her shirt as the other tried to pull up. Finally the one being tugged kicked away and glared at the girl the other girl was just laughing and was teasing her. As she stopped laughing

I looked at the one being teased and I noticed that she had one of the items that was a requirement for the same quest as me. When I looked at the others they didn't have those items. I went up to the girl and asked

"It looks like we are in the same quest. Would you like to join me?" I asked her.

She looked at her leader as he nodded saying

"Ok" I sent her a party invite and she accepted before leaving. The leader looked at me and said

"If you let her die or even betray her I will not hesitate to come after you and I will kill you" I stared back at him and gave him a smirk

"With me she's safe I won't let that happen" he then relaxed feeling at ease. The girl and I started walking away going towards the next area. We both walked silently not saying anything at all. We were both embarrassed as if what happened back there didn't happen. This was probably the worst choice just I couldn't stand seeing someone get picked on it was adorable and funny, but it went a little far. I looked down and let out a sigh.

"My name is Zexion and I know this was sudden but does this happen to you often" She jumped a little as I spoke and stayed silent a little before she spoke

"Y-Yes this happens a-a-almost all the time but I'm u-used to it" she was shy and stuttering for once I started to feel a little happy. She was adorable, but I knew that the feeling will only subside as I looked at her. I asked for her name she looked back and said

"My name is Sedn-" we were interrupted by a field boss these things were a little tough so we both decided to work together. The boss was a giant yeti the boss swung at her and as the boss was swinging at her I got a hit on him dealing a good amount of damage as soon as he got hit. He noticed me and then swung at me, but before he could he was sliced in half by my teammate.

After we killed it we began to move towards the mountain. We talked about the different quests we have been on and fights we have done and as we started walking up the mountain there were mobs after mobs. I mainly killed them all and when we finally got to a resting a point we took a small break. Before continuing up it I looked back at her and asked

"What is your name again?" this time she completed it

"My name is Sedna" she said still a bit timid

"That's a nice name" I replied getting up from my seat

"and it's nice to meet you" she smiled and looked away. We started to come up on this cabin and behind the cabin was a cave. We walked past the cabin and explored the cave. It's my first time being here so I had no idea where I am going. I followed the cave route which lead out to a bigger area. The trip was long, but down near the end was a NPC standing. We started heading towards it but there were mobs after mobs there was almost no end. Slimes after slime Sedna and I started killing them getting a decent amount of experience. The fact that they weren't giving me much experience was surprising me until I looked at their levels they which were level one hundred and twenty. This quest was just getting harder and harder each one took two or three hits to kill, but we finally fought our way to the NPC. We had finished the second part of the quest which took at least one hour because of the travel time. The third part came up and the quest was to take the item to the top of the mountain and jump off the top holding the item. I hesitated for a bit and finally accepted this quest. The quest was getting really weird and I wasn't likening it, but the reward was at least two million experience and five million gold so I guess it's worth it. The NPC disappeared as me and Sedna turned around we began walking out of the cave. We walked past the cabin again and stared up at the trial leading further up. I didn't know where the peak was. I looked at Sedna and asked

"Are you sticking with me till the end?" she nodded slowly. I let out a sigh and began walking up the mountain. Continuing onward the mobs got stronger and stronger. The further we got and they got more aggressive they were. We finally hit a resting point and I opened the map to see where we were at. The map read no map data. I stood there not knowing where to go. So I closed the map and we took a ten minuet break. During the beak we talked a bit the new exp event coming up. We took a while just wondering what it was.

"So I heard that it was going to take weeks" Sedna said trying to warm her hands. Looking at her I started to get cold too and so I started trying to get warm as well.

After the break we made our way up. It felt like this wasn't going to end and if we slipped it was definitely going to be the end for either one of us. I was barely able to see the peak, but as we got closer the mobs levels went higher. The levels of the mobs were one hundred fifty and became ice spirits that were harder to deal with. It was times like these where I wished that I could use my wings, but in this area my wings would freeze as soon as I brought them out. We fought our way through trying not losing our footing. We managed to kill them all as we reached the peak. We were so high up that I couldn't see a thing through the clouds underneath the mountain peak. I hesitated a bit and looked over at Sedna, but before I could do a thing she pushed me off the edge and jumped off herself letting out a shout of joy. Are were free falling I saw the peak vanish from sight and I hear her laugh with as if she's having the best time of her life. I begin to laugh with her. This was actually fun. As we are falling all I can see is everything flying by me quickly. This fall was going to be a while. I turned around seeing a small crater I grabbed Sedna holding her close to me tucking her into me my back facing the crater bracing for impact. We slipped though the crater finally reaching surface, but instead of hitting the ground we hit water and sunk all the way to the bottom. I let go of her and we swam back up to the surface where we saw a small ledge. We climbed onto the ledge we were greeted by a NPC. I gave him the item as the last quest chain popped up behind him. The quest that we had just accepted made two big dungeon doors appear behind the NPC and the level requirement was one hundred sixty. I looked back to see her nod. The NPC fades away and the doors open. Inside everything was a dark blue color and the ground was a lighter shade of blue. Sedna and I walked in as the doors shut behind us. I ignored it and started walking ahead with my hands in my cloak's pockets getting ready and behind me Sedna was using her beginner's sword. halfway through exploring the inside of the doors we started hearing double footsteps from behind us, but every time we turned around there was nothing there so we decided to ignore it. After a while the room was illuminated. There was a rainbow type crystal ceiling in above us. The boss appeared he was level one hundred and sixty-five.

Above his health bar the name appeared "The Lost Soul". The boss was a dark skinned demon with red eyes. He was in the shape of a human, but he had claws and on his head were horns that were pointed towards the sky that white long hair flowed around. The boss wore a black armor with a red breastplate. He had at least five health bars. I jumped back pulling my hands out of my pockets grabbing my daggers as I take my hands out of my pockets. Sedna got ready and I summoned my familiar he let off a big amount of energy buffing us. We got a lightning attribute added to our weapons. The boss stood there taller than us, but not by much. He was holding two swords. He glared at us we had entered his domain and his blood red eyes were point towards Sedna and I. We darted in opposite directions round. The boss quickly darted at Sedna. She blocked his first strike, but her health was draining. Under her health she was receiving flame damage. I had the boss away from Sedna before the damage became serious. I took out one of my nine daggers and threw it at him. He disappeared or should I say he moved so fast that it looks like he had teleported. He moved to right above me. He slashed down with both of his swords. I tried to jump back, but underneath my feet there was a gravity spell that was cast to keep me in place. He slashed down and I took out two daggers as quickly as I could to block. His swords made contact with me and went a few inches in, but I managed to use my daggers to make sure the blade didn't go deeper. My health went from 100% to 60%. The boss wasn't done yet. His swords went up in flames and my health started to deplete. I pushed the boss off of me and threw both the daggers at him. They made contact, but didn't do much damage. Sedna ran her sword through his chest and did some more damage, but the damage dealing to damage taking ratio was not in our favor. I had to do something, but what? The boss started flailing his swords at me and I had to block each attack individually, but the burn damage started adding up. Once I reached 20% I was in the danger zone. Sedna was attacking the boss while he was attacking me, but the damage was very little. It was amazing that a small agility type boss had this much health. Sedna then became the point of agro. Her health was dropping and I had to do something and then… I remembered something important. It was an item I got for being a beta tester. It was a onetime use item, but I had to use it. I opened my menu and clicked on the item. Its name was 50ssa. To the average person this item would look like a hack, but it was an item for beta testers that played the Japanese version. Once I clicked the item a countdown started five, four, three, two, and one. Everything about my character changed. The cloak I wore turned into and event only dragon skinned cloak. My daggers became a set that were event only legendary and there were nine of them. This feel to the equipment was all too familiar to me because I had switched temporarily to my Japanese account. I was now level two hundred… the max. I extended my arm and my fox familiar latched itself swirling around my arm. I looked down as electricity filled my body I whispered

"Esper mode" this was my mode. Electricity sparked randomly around my body. The electricity crackled and boomed with power. I started walking towards the boss. The boss turned its attention away from Sedna and at me. Sedna was dumbfounded as well. The Lost Soul launched towards me, but his speed went from being uncatchable to pathetic. Before he even made a step I quick stepped behind him with a dagger held in reverse in my right hand which was held up high. The boss tried to turn around, but I lunged the dagger into his shoulder blades. He yelled in pain and lunged his sword. I casually backed up dodging the sword while using my foot to trip him. The boss fell to the ground onto its butt and looked pathetic. In the instant he fell to the ground I had thrown four daggers into the palms of its hands and the pads of his feet which dug into the ground keeping him in place. Raised my right hand towards him and electricity began to gather.

"Don't mess with an esper…" I mocked the boss to which it didn't like. It sacrificed its arms and legs to rip free and try to bite me

"Not fast enough." I shot. The electricity came into contact with the boss and his body started to sizzle and crackle violently. The electricity started to become magnetic and the daggers ripped from there placed whether they be in my pockets or on the ground they flew towards the boss dicing him into nine different pieces which eventually burst into data.

"We did it" Sedna smiled as we both got the reward for the quest. The reward managed to bring my American account one level bringing it to level one hundred and ninety-six. I was happy that I was able to do this while the others were gone on a field trip. When we got to town I finally I said my goodbyes to Sedna as she logged out. I exited the area and went into the field area as jumped in a tree having a clear view of the stars laying down on a branch staring up at them swiping my finger down before logging out after the colors faded I was laying down on my bed I took the gear off my head to see the time it was almost 11PM I didn't have school tomorrow so I could do whatever I want so I looked at any new quests seeing that it's not much longer for the big event I was excited and I couldn't wait. In fact, I put my nerve gear back on and I went back on my bed. I was too excited to sleep so…

"Link start!"


	39. Chapter 39

Zexion's POV

I was on the tree I logged out on and I stayed there laying on a branch stareing up at the night sky. it was a nice view and it was relaxing there was not very many people on and it was nice and quiet. it was nice and the view was beautiful I layed there for five minuets before getting out of the tree. It turns out when I logged out my item expired and I was no longer on my Japanese account, but I didn't let that bother me. I decided to head into town to see how many people were on and as I enter the town I casually walk through it hands in pockets hood up like my usual. The town was the same as when I left it. Big structures and full of people taking. I was about to go to the board for a quest but something caught my eye. One person, she stood in front of a shop starring through the window at first it looked like Sedna. I was about to shout, but I noticed that it l was the girl that was teasing Sedna as I got closer I decided to ignore her, but she turned suddenly and bumped into me.

It didn't take long for her to shout at me "hey watch where you are going"

she pushed me away and I had step to back to catch myself. My hood fell back and her eyes widened.

I saw her tail flick to one side and she walked up to me standing on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear "so did you have fun with my twin sister Sedna" she said it in a provocative way as she backed up.

I let out a sigh laughing a bit and said "yes we did have fun but not in the way your leading to"

she smirked and laughed a little a bit before saying "aweeee you are no fun." Her hands went to her hip and she swayed from side to side.

"my name is Tabitha and who might you be defiler of my dear sister?"

I put my hood up and let out a sigh saying in a calm voice "my name is Zexion"

this girl is so upbeat I immediately thought to myself. as I told her my name she laughed at it a bit. Before I continued the conversation I looked over at the shop window to see what she was eyeballing. She was stareing at a sword that looked like a katana and it was a very rare drop.

I looked away from it to turn to look at Tabitha but as I turned her face was close to mine as she spoke in a provocative yet teasing way "So do you like my sister?"

I took a step back moving away shaking my head. She laughed and started to tease me as I got sudden friend request from her I accepted it without thinking.

whats up with her she was being so weird I dont even know her but she had already sent me a friend request.

She seemed fun and like a nice person despite her teasing but she was freindly. Suddenly she got closer to me standing on her tiptoes a bit stareing in my eyes

"say I saw you looking at the wepon do you by chance want it" she said smirking I thought it was time for me to try to be funny and tease her "hmmm I wonder maybe I do actually I have enough to buy it maybe I will"

she puffed her cheeks out before grabbing my hand she seemed annoyed as she took me out of the town

She dragged me for forty minutes until we finally stopped and after we did she sent me a dual invite. I stood there confused as she stared at me smirking "you have to go through me to get it then"

she really wanted that item. I was wondering what I just got myself into, but it was to late to back out so I hit accept I stood there with my hands in my pockets as she pulled out her wepon she got in a ready stance as the timer went down

"5...4...3...2...1…Fight" she dashed at me swinging her sword I just stood there dodging her swings calmly and didnt choose to fight back, yet I wanted to wait for the right moment. she slowly got annoyed as her swings got more quicker and accurate trying to hit me. It was starting to get too fast for this accounts speed.

I pulled a hand out of my pocket to block one of her swings with my dagger, but afterwards we stood there locked in place as she was glareing at me.

I stared at her and as soon as I was about to speak she kicked me in the stomach sending me flying backwards. I got my footing as I looked up she rushed at me but then I dodged to the left avoiding her dash. I turned around to see her swinging down at me I managed to block it on time. I pulled my other hand out from my pocket with a dagger and swung. I closed my eyes slowly before opening them. She was holding both of my daggers. she backed up and brought her sword up. We stayed there not moveing before we both took a step forward she swung down at me I side stepped and her sword hit the ground she tilted the blade upwards swinging her sword at me I ducked under her swing. She backed back up and caught her balance smirking and stareing at me talking in a teasing manner "you better watch yourself" again this was getting annoying there I kept thinking to myself just dont get hit and she will reveal a weak spot but she suddenly changed from her noraml stance to a different one as she stared at me looking as if im prey. she just got serious her sword was by her side she dashed at me slashing at me I dodged it like I noramly would but she predicted it kicking me. I took a few steps back catching myself as she swung towards my torso I blocked it but she stretched out her arm hitting me. I took another four steps back and I couldnt block I couldnt dodge her next attack. she wasnt even trying against me before she was just watching. This girl was smart I knew this was going to be harsh. she charged out me again I started backing up quickly dodging her slashes and her kicks I thought it was about time for me to fight back watcheing her swings memorizing the pattern I found and opening I swung a dagger at her she sidestepped smirking

did….she...just read my next step I thought to myself while I rolled out of the way so I didnt get hit by her knee. she stared at me winking and making a paw pose with her free hand. im feeling pathetic shes toying with me I started to lose my cool a little bit this time I was the one to charge at her.

she got in a defensive stance dodging my strikes and blocking I had to hit her once this was annoying me I wanted to beat her now.

I started to speed up going from place to place swinging my dagger at her. she was blocking everything so I decided to switch up my style. I started throwing my nine daggers at her she dodged them all which made an opening. I brought up one of my arms about to swing down at her there was five seconds left I was about to win this fight "Tabitha its ov-" I was stopped as her face was in front of mine her sword in my arm I couldn't move realizing that I had lost. She has a really strong paralysis on her sword. She then kissed my cheek as words meterializd in the air declaring her as the winner

she stepped back she winked and looked at me making a paw pose with her free hand again as she spoke in a teasing way "Nyaaaa I maybe someday you can get the real thing" she started strolling off to the town

And raised her hand showing an item

"Thanks for buying my sword" the item was my wallet

I ended up doing a quest after that... But damn


	40. Chapter 40

**The writer enters a room that is dark and silent. He walks slowly making sure to be as quite as he can**

**(Kagura)Where have you beeeeeeen**

**Kagura old and withered came from the corner inching towards the writer. The writer kicks at him**

**(Writer) Away fowl beast. I've had a lot of work in the summer and couldn't write at all because of it**

**Kagura's wrinkles started age back in time**

**(Kagura) Ok!**

**After easily admitting defeat to the he goes to a window at the end of the room**

**(Kagura) Hay fans! He is finally back!**

**(BEST OC Maker) Nice, keep it up!**

**Kagura turned to the writer excited**

**(Kagura) they're pumped!**

**(Writer) Kagura that is what BEST OC Maker always reviews**

**(Kagura) Does that mean I don't get my ending with my Wiefu Serenity**

**(Writer) I don't think you know what wiefu means**

**(Kagura) I thought it was an anime character that nerds love that most likely wouldn't love them back if they were to meet them**

**(Narrator) And that day Kagura crushed and offended hundreds of otaku. Will Kagura survive the otaku attack, Will BEST OC Maker review Nice, keep it up! Will you the reader read this chapter underneath this dialogue… Most likely**

The problem with me going to a field trip to Japan is that I use to live in Japan. I knew where everywhere was and where everything is. It was weird when one of the teachers butcher a Japanese tradition, but it was also kind of funny. We went to many different places before we finally went to lunch. I didn't have the stomach to eat at the time the class spent lunch so I got away from the class during that time. Once I was away from the class I got to look up the Alfhiem board. I looked at the post about Zekken and it read complete. I opened it to see that a female payer had competed the quest. After lunch was over I waited a few more agonizing hours till free time. Once free time started I immediately went into ALO. I put on my gear and said the words

"Link Start!"

The world around me vanished and was replaced with colors settings adjusted to my brain. After all the settings adjusted to my brain a screen appeared before me. it was the screen to select my account it had my main account and a create new account button. I never planned on creating a new a new account because I never imagined why I'd ever do it. I didn't want to do all my work over again and if I wanted to change races I would just reincarnate. I selected my account and the world of Alfhiem appeared around me. The colors flowed and my senses re-awoke to the game. I could smell the fresh air.

I was in a generic town called Veli. Veli was one of the small towns in the game that players usually pass by. It was neutral territory for all the races and was a no PvP zone. The town hand a village in a valley theme to it. The ground throughout the village was not pavement and was grass. The buildings were made from stone and had wooden floors. Windows were just holes in the buildings and had no glass, but a curtain covering the hole for privacy. The town board which was what I was headed to was in the middle of the town and was decorated with flowers that would wrap around the sides. The board was updated with the endless new quests that people have found on this seemingly endless world. Today I had plans to do a quest with Kirito. He wanted to test a new legendary weapon he had acquired. We were going to do a High level boss quest with only two players in the forest near the village. The recommended level for this quest was one hundred ninety. The forest was a hard dungeon on its own. Its name was the "Veli Outskirts" the dungeon didn't take long to travel to by flight only a four minute travel time. As a neared the forest I saw a certain black haired swordsman. Kirito was waiting talking to his pretend daughter Yui (An AI from SAO).

"Yo" I called out his name to get his attention. He turned and waved his hand greeting me back.

"Hay" he said with a relaxed voice. Yui went into his pocket and also greeted me

"Hello" she said with an upbeat tone.

Kirito looked so relaxed that I didn't believe that it was him. I only have ever seen the serious side of him in Sao or Alfhiem. In both situations he was very serious about what he was doing. In Sao it was a fight for his life while in Alfhiem it was a fight to get his girlfriend free. It was nice to see this side of him. For a while it was weird to be around Kirito because the fact that I was dating his sister, but after a while I noticed that I didn't know him much. It turns out that Kirito is the perfect boyfriend. For some reason he has girls throwing themselves at him and he doesn't even notice it with how much he loves Asuna.

Kirito equipped his new golden sword Excalibur which was a pure gold blade with a green hilt. Its power is absolutely ridiculous. This item might be able to one shot some of the mobs in this dungeon. It had only a hundred less damage then my crossbow and my bow had a three minute cooldown.

"You ready?" Kirito examined my equipment to judge for himself.

"Yea" I took my crossbow out and entered the dungeon first

After we entered the dungeon I let Kirito lead the way. He had two swords and was better at close combat. If we find any mobs Kirito will be the fighting them and will be the closest one to taking damage. I would be on the edge of the fight shooting of shots to help Kirito and kill off the mobs. Our formation with Kirito walking in front would turn sour if an enemy seceded in a sneak attack. It would take some time for us to reposition and we would both take a bit of damage doing it.

In the dungeon there was a set path, a road that was designed to get you to the normal boss of the dungeon, but what we were after was not the normal boss of the dungeon. We wanted to find a special boss that was in the path that was not the road. We went off road which ups the spawn rate of monsters and there was no road to show us the way so we could be lost for hours. We ventured on our way for who knows how long and our hopes that we wouldn't run into too many mobs turned into a want for just a single mob to attack. We were in the forest and there was no mobs attacking.

"Man this is boring!" I sighed in annoyance. I put my bow to my side and opened my menu. I wanted to look at the quest info again to see if I read everything right

"This is weird" Kirito started examining the area closer to see if we were really in the dungeon

"This quest is supposed to have a lot of beast mobs as we get the boss The forest king, which was a huge monkey that could control the forest and was a mobile boss. There was none of that

"Ummm…" Kirito was far away from me and was in bewilderment "… Zen"

"Yes" I said closing my menu

"Come here" his voice still bewildered. I walked to him and the first thing I saw…

Spider webs a lot of spider webs… A lot! Of spider webs. A player couldn't see the forest behind because of the spider webs. It was a lair. It had hundreds upon hundreds of prey that was caught and wrapped in a cocoon.

Most of the cocoons were full of huge bulks that looked like the shapes of beasts, but there were two together that caught our attention. It was two cocoons that obviously had people in them. And a whole lot of noise was coming out of one

"You ****** with the wrong ****** My name ** Ka**** the hand*** flir* of the ****" the voice was too muffled and I couldn't make out everything.

I shot the spot freeing the player. The cocoon fell and the player was still not visible. The cocoon hit the ground and rose fast still covering the player as he rose

"YOUR SAVIOR RISES!" the man yelled into the air and the voice got familiar and as the cocoon fell off I realized…

It was Kagura. He started spouting off and I took this time to free the other man.

The cocoon fell to the floor and then rose a man he was a little smaller than average and was also a little over weight, he was bald with a bolo hat on. He wore a suit with a red tie and had black paint from the bottom of the sides of his mouth to the bottom of his chin that made him look like a puppet

"Thank you sooooooo much my friend." His voice was ruff and sounded strained. "But this battle isn't over" he turned around and pointed to hundreds of huge spiders that were scaling the wall downwards towards us. They rampaged and devoured every beast they passed quickly approaching us.

I readied my bow and shot around taking five of the things out, but that didn't even put a dent in the army Kirito ran back so he wouldn't be overtaken by the army of Spiders. He caught up with us and we all started running including the fat man. Once we were far enough we started chanting one spell after another. We had to lose this army or else we'd be gone in seconds. I swiped my finger down and opened my menu. Went into my items and grabbed a smoke bomb, an escape item designed to get out of situations like this. I equipped the item and a bomb materialized in front of my. I took the bomb and threw it out of the ground. Smoke covered the area and we all took flight. This dungeon was an anti-flight area so we lost Hp rapidly the longer we were in the air. We had to make it some distance away from the spiders. Hp dropped and was approaching zero fast and as soon as reached one hit point we all dropped according to who had the lowest max Hp. The group had managed to make it alive.

"Oh my that was a close one" Kirito sighed in relief as he laid on the ground taking deep breaths.

"I know right?" I agreed sitting up I looked at Kagura who still had energy in himself. He walked over to us and sat down

"We may have lost the war men…. But at least we aren't prisoners" he was never serious

"There you all are" the bald man came from behind us in the forest "Thanks for saving me again." he sounded grateful as he sat down

Kagura laughed "Not a problem sir it's just an every day's work. It was just like the time I stormed a tower to save my man Kirito here's girlfriend." Kagura gloated as he sat down. The area was clear so we had time to talk so why not let Kagura go on one of his tangents.

"Let me tell you the tale!"

**Four hours later **

"And after a did Blizzaga and Spirit bombed my way through the tower I went Keoken and Asuna was like oooooh if I wasn't with Kirito I would be with you! And that is how I saved the day." After his long tale Kirito was close to strangling him and I wanted to put a hole through his head. The bold man on the other hand was cracking up

After the story the bald man stood up "Thanks for gracing me with your honorable tale" he was being polite and thanked us again

"No problem… I'm just wondering why this quest changed." After saying this Kirito's face dropped and went into deep thought, but the bald man said something stranger before he left.

"Well I thought the old quest was boring… So I changed it" with that the man left us. What did he mean he changed it? It most likely meant that he works for the company and had the power to change the quest. That's what we all ended up concluding on.

After we all healed up we made our way back to the spider lair and the new boss was there to greet us

In middle of the web surrounded by hundreds of spiders was the mother… it reminded me of the second floor of SAO, but three times as big.

I readied my bow and Kirito readied his swords. We were about to enter combat, but Kagura stopped us

"Let me handle this" he said with a calm voice "I want to show Zen what I've learned since he went to America"

He started chanting and once he was finished he shouted "Knight mode!"

"Yes master" Pixel rushed out of his pocket as a new set of armor equipped to Her and Kagura and Kagura pulled off a chain that was on the side of his gauntlets revealing holes… but he wasn't done yet

He opened his menu and equipped an item. A bag materialized in front of him and he grabbed it

"King mode" He threw the contents of the bag in the air and they were crystals. All the crystals started shining and turned into Pixies hundreds and hundreds of pixies. All with a set of armor

The battle ended in seconds

**Kagura: Here's something to look forward to when you get back to Japan Zen!**


	41. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sao. Just the OCs**

It was the last day of the field trip and I had waited for this time to visit Sugu. The visit was a secret Kirito and Sugu didn't even know that I was in town. On my free time I was able to find my way to Kirito's and Sugu's house, but when I knocked on the door no one answered. After a while of waiting I took a look around. Next to the house was an old wooden dojo with paper window covers, but within the window covers I could see shadows moving back and forth. The shadows wielded swords and was clashing with one another. One shadow was in a traditional stance while the other had the sword down to his hip and out. The one in the traditional stance was obviously Suguha while the other was Kirito.

I rolled my way to the dojo, but I couldn't enter because the door and a single step in front of it. I tightened my fist. I hated the fact that even out of the hospital there was still things I could not do because of my physical state. I waited outside the dojo and watched the match unfold. I started to shake because it was cold outside. The match continued to carry on for an hour. I'm beginning to think that I should have warned her that I was coming then trying to surprise her. After the long wait Sugu finally came out of the dojo. Her face was turned to Kirito so she didn't see me, but Kirito's eye widened when he exited the dojo.

"So you guess met Kagura and what?" Sugu asked Kirito. When she noticed Kirito's eyes she looked in my direction and then her eye's widened.

"Zen!" she ran up and hugged me. "You should have told me you were coming!" she let go, stood up and stepped back. "I'm sorry were you waiting for us long?" she asked remembering how long she was in the dojo

"No I just got here" I lied with a smile on my house. My body kept shaking because of the cold and my excitement to see Sugu wasn't helping

"Are you cold?" Kirito asked me "let's get you inside."

Sugu took my chair from the handles in the back and started rolling me towards the door

"You make any friends in America?" she asked me as we reached the door

"Well there is a clean freak named Jake and a Slacker named Shiro." I told her "Oh and there is this really hot girl" Sugu pulled my ear

"What was that!?" she asked in lower tone

"Kidding! Mercy!" she let go

"How's the Alfhiem in America?" Kirito asked me as he was unlocking the door in front of us

"If you like grinding all the way back up to max level. You can get an account."

Kirito used his free hand to scratch his head nervously "No thanks." He opened the door "Why not just transfer your account?"

"Because I don't plan on staying in America for long and I didn't want to pay the fee to do so."

"Mother we have a guest!" Sugu raised her voice to let her parent know that I was here.

I woman with features that match Sugu's with long hair and a more mature and slender body presented herself from around the corner

"Hello Zen." She greeted me.

I've known Sugu's mother for a while now. She would visit with Sugu sometimes when I was in the hospital.

"Hello Ms. Kirigaya" I did a slight bow in my chair.

"Zen you don't have to be so formal" Sugu whispered to me.

"Yea Relax." Kirito agreed.

"Thank you" I said with a slight bow

Ms. Kirigaya laughed "Dinners ready if you're hungry." I followed them into the kitchen and sat down at a table with food laid out on it. There was rice and curry.

"Thank you for the food" I said before I started to eat.

"So what's your plan to come back to Japan?" Kirito asked me informed that I was trying to come back to Japan.

"Well I plan on finishing highschool in a year and applying to college here in Japan"

"Ouch!" Kirito yelped in pain

"Kirito… I already told you that." Suguha said in frustration.

"Oh you've been away from Japan for a while so you probably haven't heard." Kirito perked up in excitement

"What?" I asked

"It happened as soon as Zen left." Suguha looked at Kirito

"What happened?" I just wanted to know.

"Actually if you don't know I think I should let Kagura tell you."

"What about Kagura!" I wanted to know more "Just tell me!"

"Well Kagura…" Sugu was flustered.

"Is dating Serenity!" Kirito told me with his mouth full.

"What the!" I stood there with my mouth open for a second, but then pulled out my phone. I opened it and pressed on it with an intense mix of rage and confusion. I called Kagura's cell and it was ringing.

After about four rings it stopped and a familiar voice come from the phone.

"Hello?" it was Kagura's voice

"YOU SON OF A!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't be at the phone at this time."

"BI huh?"

"I'm probably with the queen of my nation. Please leave a message that I won't listen to after the beep." I hung up

And looked at Ms. Kirigaya "I'm sorry for my language." I apologized. She laughed to herself trying to hold it in.

"It's ok" she went back to eating. "I'm glad to see that Suguha choose someone with a sense of humor."

Sugu blushed and Kirito saw it and thought of ways to tease her.

"So… have you two kissed yet?" when he said that my face went red.

Sugu hit the table and there was a little thump. "I want my first kiss to be special. So no we haven't kissed… yet… you want your kiss to be special too right Zen?" she looked at me and my face went red

"What's wrong Zen?" Kirito noticed my blush "Don't you want your first kiss to be special?" Kirito leaned in yearning for a response.

"Well I…" I hesitated to respond

"Well you what?" Sugu started to pout.

"I already had my first kiss…" I made sure to say this sheepishly so that I could get some resemblance of mercy from Sugu.

The table went up with a big thump and Sugu stood up. "So… who was it with…" she sounded angry, but in actuality the story of my first kiss was kind of sad.

"Sugu calm down." Ms Kirigaya told her "I'm pretty sure that it happened when you were a kid or something. Right Zen?"

"Yea." I looked down at my plate which was about half done all the rice was gone, but curry was almost untouched. "So you have a dojo out front?" I asked Kirito

"Yea we use it for kendo practice." Kirito stared t tell me of all the times that Suguha and Kirito had practiced in it

"Wow I wish I could have a few rounds." After I said that I realized that I had said it without thinking. Everyone at the table started to look down. I made them feel bad because I was in a wheel chair. Well everyone, but Kirito. Kirito just looked at me with a smile

"You can." He said

**Sorry for the wait guys. **


	42. Chapter 43

"3…2…1… link start!"

My mind was overcome with colors and shapes as the settings locked and the world was reformed in front of me. I was in the ventus ragnum guild hall when a letter appeared in front of my face. I pressed the letter with my index finger and it opened saying that it was a challenge notice from Kiito. At the bottom of the message was two options that were selectable

Accept and Decline

When I was at the table Kirito challenged me to a battle in Alfhiem, but I had to go. So we postponed it until I was at the hotel that my school ordered for the last night.

I accepted the request and my body was ripped apart and turned into data. The data was then sent through the sky and made its path to one of the biggest colosseums in Alfhiem The Great Wish. The Great Wish was the colosseum where race leaders and big guild leaders would duel and it was showed to all the players that wanted to see great battles in Alfhiem looked like. I was ported into the middle of the colosseum and all around me there were crowds roaring. One side held up black flags and all the flags had two swords on them. That side was shouting out Kirito's name. on the other side behind me as a crowd that held blue flags that had a crossbow on it. This crowed was chanting my name

"You ready?" I noticed Kirito was ten feet in front of me with his swords in hand.

The duel was ready. The timer counted down

3

2

1

Start

Kirito raised his two blades and ran at me. He stabbed forward with his left. I held my bow vertical to block. He swung with his right and as I blocked he would continuously attack. The assault didn't stop. I needed to find a way to get him away so I could get a shot in. I needed to wait until he committed to an attack. I waited, but Kirito knew that I was waiting for him. Each slice was met with a quick stab or follow up. He didn't let up, and he made sure he didn't commit to anything that could be used against himself.

I have to make him commit. I started chanting, and started casting a spell. I couldn't use my shot. I needed to use magic to attack. Kirito saw that I was chanting and his Slashes were getting quicker. I finished the chant. It was time to make my move. With the base of my bow I tried to push forward to try and stagger Kirito. He met my attack with a single sword. My spell finished. I used a spell that my breath freeze in a direction of my choice. I blew towards his feet which instantly froze over. I took a quick jump back and aimed to bow.

Kirito used his sword to take out the ice holding him and ran towards me. I shoot. While running he does a 360 twist moving to the right, and dodges the arrow as it was going to his him. He starts charging at me again, and I start a new chant. He slashes horizontally, I duck, I swing my crossbow, he blocks, and finally he stabs,

...

...

...

but I take it. I let him stab me. I feel a sharp pain as the blade goes into my shoulder. I grip on to the blade. I try to lift my heavy bow with one hand, and finish the spell. A blue light envelopes me and I could feel my wound trying to close.

My Health went from a serious hit to almost full. I shoot, but with the heavy recoil the arrow didn't hit the best spot, and instead of blowing a hole through his shoulder, but it leaves a cut on his neck as it misses. My mind goes into panic he goes for another stab. I jump back and quickly open my equipment menu and swap into a sword. The sword appeared in my hand and the crossbow burst into data. Kirito charged and I took to the air. He tried to follow, but to stop his approach I did a preemptive stab to keep him on the floor. He made a mistake letting me into the air first. I am willing to lose a leg to take his head. People on the higher ground always have the advantage. He couldn't get into the air without paying a price. Kirito started running around trying to get out of my range so he could get into the air, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I was stabbing at him keeping him down. When he tried to turn I was able to outs sword fight him because of my position. I had the advantage, but then I noticed that he was chanting. He finished, and suddenly there was a blast of smoke. I flew up high in the air to get away. From some sort of sneak attack, but for some reason I stopped traveling up. I felt a tug on my leg and looked down to see a giant hand wrapped around my leg. The smoke disappeared to reveal Jin the Unbound. The floor 56 boss.

Kirito must have used magic to change his shape. The hand tugged me and flicked me towards the ground. What took me 30 seconds to fly up, took me two seconds to be thrown down. I instantly started chanting a healing spell. Kirito's new form charged at me. Things started to get scary, but I felt now that Kirito was in this form I could pull something off.

I opened my equipment menu and equipped my crossbow. Kirito brought his fist down and I was force to roll. He charged at me and abused the fact that it takes me awhile to change into the bow. I finished the healing spell chant and a blue light envelops me. The scratches and bruises on me were starting to heal and close, but I let the light distract me. Kirito was now too close for me to dodge. His giant fist came hurling at me. As the fist connected my bow equipped. The blow slapped me against the wall. My Wings Cracked. I readied my bow and shot Jin in the face. The damage was enough to shatter the magic. Jin blew up sending Kirito in the opposite direction.

Shark Drake Mode

A blue aura covered me which gave my body a see through shark shaped armor. I flew through the air as if I was swimming. My crossbow ready. Kirito used his wings to fly up, but when he was above me I used my form to cast a water spell instantly capturing him in a sphere of water. I aimed my crossbow up and shoot. Kirito tried to swim to the side, but his swimming speed was not comparable to his flying speed. The arrow was dead on, but before the arrow hit... he caught it.

Kirito's had four wings now. A second a go he had two swords in his hand, but suddenly one sword was in the sheath and he was able to catch my arrow.

"Over here." I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and saw nothing. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as a blade from behind plunged it's way through. I felt a foot on my back push me and send me to the ground

I looked up and started chanting a healing spell since I can only instantly cast water element spells. I saw Kirito flying above me

"Sword Art Mode" he mumbled looking towards me

"You could have ended me there." I said confused on why he hadn't."

"This wouldn't have been a fair match if I had" he said readying his blades

He started chanting and disappeared.

I casted a spell that put a giant sphere of that covered the battle ground. It was a water based spell that slowed everyone in it. Kirito appeared on my right side and stabbed. I dodged he was still insanely fast, but I was able to keep track of him now. He slashed down and I used my crossbow to block. He then held the blade against my bow pushing against me. He raised his other hand and threw his sword at me his chant finished, but nothing happened. I moved my head to the side to dodge the sword. Throwing a sword isn't a good attack at all.

Then as I dodged it I saw the sword stop mid air. I rolled away from Kirito or should I saw Kiritos because the sword that was thrown was caught by a second Kirito. That's what Kirito's spell had done. Both Kirito's opened up their menus and equipped weapons. Kirito number one equipped lisbeth's sword and Kirito number two equipped a shield.

Both Kirito's charged, both chanting. Shield Kirito charged at me speed blazing bashing his shield into my bow. Duel swords Kirito went behind me I swam up really fast and aimed my bow down. I shot at Duel sword Kirito. Shield Kirito blocked as duel swords Kirito goes into his equipment and pulls out a lance. He throws. I dodge, But the lance almost skewered me in the stomach. Kirito's were both done chanting and two Kiritos formed behind me. One of them caught the lance.

Kirito number three or should I say lance Kirito charged at me. I dodged to the left. duel swords Kirito. Come up from behind me and tried to take my head off with a horizontal slash I was able to dodge but just barely it left a scratch and made a bit of contact. The Other Kirito that was summoned, that don't have a weapon started chanting. Kirito shield used pursued me. I used a lance of pressurized water to push him back. Lance Kirito and Duel sword Kirito came at me from two different directions. Had to do a fast fall to avoid being Impaled. The unarmed Kirito finished his chant and suddenly was enveloped in smoke. What replaced him was gleam eyes. I was in trouble I had three worriers and a beast on me that wanted my blood. The four Kirito's charged at me. I shot my bow at the gleam eyes to stop it. He arrow went right into its arm and it staggered. Duel swords Kirito was behind shield and lance Kiritos waiting for set up to attack. Shield Kirito charged forward. He raised his sword to attack. He brought his sword down, and I raised my bow to guard. Lance Kirito took advantage of this and stepped to the left to try and stab me. I adjust my body to dodge then grab hilt of the lance. Duel blades Kirito comes up behind me and slashes down. The strike was stopped by a protection bubble that was instantly cast because I was in shark drake mode. Beast Kirito recovered and jumped. He was going to land on me. I started chanting. I threw lance Kirito at duel swords Kirito. I pushed shield Kirito down with myself to dodge the Gleam eyes as it landed on the ground. I used the shark aura to take a bite out of Shield Kirito's neck. Shield Kirito vanished. I was finally making progress.

Duel swords Kirito was on me. I finished my chant and froze his legs to the ground. I aimed my bow at Lance Kirito and he dodged to the left. When he dodged I quickly put him in a eater bubble Keeping him in an area while I take out the real problem. Gleam eyes ran behind me and tried to crush me with its claws. I rolled to the side. I felt the force of the blow as the debre came up off the floor. I aimed my bow and fired. The arrow made its way through Gleam eye's head dissolving the creature and bringing a weapon less Kirito back. I created a water spear and hurled it into weaponless Kirito's chest. My slow field ran out of time and evaporated, but so did Lance Kirito.

"You're good" Kirito said trying to catch his breath and as he breaks the ice holding his legs.

"Well, I have been able to beat everyone in Ventus Regnam except for one."

Kirito raised his swords ready. I raised my bow ready.

The battle was very exiting, but the crowd wasn't cheering. They were all yelling

"Look up!" "Look towards the sky" and "what is that."

Both Kirito and I looked up to see a screen with a bald man on it. It was a live recording.

The bald man was in a dark room. There was light, but it was really dim.

"Hello. My name is Wig." The man put his hand to his chest and bowed.

"This game is mine now"


	43. Chapter 44

"This game is mine now." Wig gave me a familiar feeling. Something I haven't felt in a long time.

"You're probably wondering what I mean" Wig continued in a code sending tone. "Of course they need explaining Wig... Just explain... Just explain!" He started yelling at himself Just explain over and over again. Louder and louder until suddenly he stopped.

He stood there trying to catch his breath.

"When this game was created, it was created with the intent to be a death game. Sword Art Online. Then it was remade to a game to mind control players. Finally it was made to be a game for fun."

He paused and looked around at every player through the screen.

"This is the history of Alfhiem. I look at you all and I see happy players. It's disgusting. Luckily, history repeats. This game is going to become a death game again... Like it was always destined to be" Whispers could Be heard around the crowd.

"Your stupid!" One mans voice raised up. "The new VR headsets don't have the ability to~!"

"Shuuuuut uuuuup!" Wig yelled and swung his hand at the player speaking. The player's avatar instantly fainted and then disappeared from the game.

"The new VR headsets were made to mind control people! With some adjustments it can be used to scramble the brain!" Wig was twitching. He seemed unstable.

The crowed was rioting all that could be heard around us was.

"Not this again" from the players that were in SAO and the cries from the new players that weren't.

People went into their menu for a quick return of some bad memories. He log out button was gone.

I put on my wings and flew up to meet the screen. Kirito followed behind me.

"Aaaaah Zen" Wig started talking to me. When I got closer to the screen I made sure to take notes of everything behind Wig. He was in a tower. "You and Kirito were always the trouble makers." That was weird of him to say because it made it seem like he knew us. "Both of you can't escape now." The screen turned red and started to envelope the world around itself. "Soon I will be the one in absolute control of this world and everything will be permanent.

A bar appeared bellow the screen and it rapidly went up from 1% to 40% it must have been how much of Alfhiem was now his.

"We need to stop this!" Kirito shouted.

"Daddy!" Yui came out of Kirito's pocket and touched the screen. The percentage stopped immediately at 67% and wouldn't budge.

"What are you doing!" Wig yelled realizing what Yui was doing.

"Daddy this programming seems familiar! I can stop him!" Wig's face became Highly upset. I'm silence he raised his arms and a cloud appeared above the screen. And then suddenly it started raining, but it wasn't raining water. Monsters fell from the sky and as soon as they landed on the ground they grew wings and charged towards the screen. They were trying to get Yui. Kirito raised his blades. I raise my bow, but Kirito put his sword to my chest. "Go find Wig and stop him!" He told me

"You can't handle them alone" I tried to lift my bow.

"Charge!" The players swarmed from the stands hundred of players vs hundreds of monsters.

"This isn't a mission we can't afford to fail men!" One of them shouted as he took on a flying boar

"Protect the pixie!" Another fighting a blue slime angel.

Kirito smiled "See? We got this, go!"

"He is in the world tree." Yui shouted. I was off. I teleported instantly to the tower just before the world tree and opened the door. I went inside and then...

was suddenly attacked

It came to fast. I rolled to the left and the impact created a smoke screen of dust. Once the dust cleared the attacker was identified.

It was the one person... That I was never able to beat in a spar.

"Kagura?" He stood there shaking with a face wet.

"Zen... I" he raised his arms and then they dropped to his side. "I wish that could say hi. I wish I could go on like everything is ok. Make jokes like the good old days... Heh" Kagura looked to the side ashamed

"What is~"

"But I can't do that Zen!" He interrupted me "Today I fight for what I believe in Zen!" He Raised his fist with his gauntlets for battle. "I am the wild flirt of the west... And my joke are known to the east... My name is Kagura... True leader of Ventus Ragnum. Sorry, but you will feel my wrath."

"King mode!"


	44. Chapter 45

Kagura punched and I had to make a quick dodge a swarm of pixies followed his punch and swarmed my whole body.

Shark drake mode

I uses my magic to wash off the pixies on me and break my way out. In this huge open room 60% of it was full with armies of pixies. Kagura used his gauntlets to lunch a beam of sound towards me I jumped to dodge, but fairies were waiting where I was dodging. I felt hundreds of miniature blades make their way into my back. I felt like I dodged into a cactus with 3 inch pines. I didn't get a break suddenly I was hit by sound waves in two directions. Underneath me and in front of me. Kagura used pixies with shields to reflect his earlier attack up at me and he lunched another in front of me. I felt like my ears were exploding. The vibrations cut up my skin. The pixies pushed me forward and dropped me at Kagura's feet he swung and landed a blow on my cheek. He sung again and nearly ripped my stomach open. After he grabbed my head and gave me a swift headbutt. I tried to block with my crossbow, but when I raised it... He grabbed it.

Ripped it from my hands and snapped it on his legs.

"Come on." He sounded annoyed.

Pixies made a wall around us so that I couldn't escape. The pixie put out their swords.

Kagura gave me a roundhouse to my face and sent me barreling sideways into the wall.

I managed to use my hands to push against the blades to keep my face safe. The blades were almost completely through my hands. Kagura kicked my back and the blades went through my hands. He pulled me off the wall. Punched me in the stomach, right cheek, knee'd me in the face

I didn't understand why he was doing this.

My shark drake mode dissipated. I couldn't hold it any longer.

His barrage just kept going. I had no where to go. I couldn't do anything about what was happening. I had enough I just wanted this to end. I wanted him to finish me already... But I couldn't let him. I caught his next fist. I pulled him and threw him into the pixie wall. The pixies disburse so that hey didn't hurt their master.

I couldn't let Wig get his way. Sugu would have to endure a death game, all the players that I know and love shouldn't have to go through all that.

I went into my inventory. And pulled out a potion

Kagura realized what it was

"A merge potion" I said. The item merges multiple characters that someone might have. The level of the new account is equal to the highest level character. It was a cash item that seemed useless to most because it makes two characters one, but doesn't increase the level total, but Kagura and I know it's secret. It gives the player a new unique mode. It turned Kagura's knight mode to King mode.

I drank the potion.

Kagura charged at me. I fused my American character and my Japanese character.

The new character formed and I instantly went into my new mode

A new crossbow reformed in my hand.

"Snipe reaper"

I dodged Kagura by rolling, and with my eyes I put crosshairs on Kagura's arms and Legs...

And every pixie in the room. I shot and the single shot became millions. Ten shots for every crosshair and they all hit with 100% accuracy. All I could see was pieces of pixies falling from the air...

...

...

...

Once the dust cleared, all that was left was Kagura in a wounded state unable to move.

He chuckled a bit in pain

"Congrats you've finally won. I know shark drake never fit you."

He was trying to talk casual like he didn't just try and kill me

"Why did you do it!" I yelled at him.

"Because..." He struggled to say it.

I walked up to him and grabbed his collar.

"Why would you try and kill your best friend!"

"So I can save Serenity!" He headbutt me. The impact was so hard that he fell limp to the floor.

"Save Serenity?!" I questioned him. I walked up to Kagura who was laying on the ground.

"If I didn't fight you he would have killed her..." Kagura adjusted himself as much as he could. "For her to not die there needs to be a winner to this fight Zen and his control is strong enough that he can make this zone a death game."

"What?!" I was dumbfounded "I can't kill you Kagura! I~"

"If you don't Serenity will die!" He yelled in frustration

"You're asking me to choose between you and~"

"The choice is not yours to make..."

I stood there and clenched my fist. I could feel tears running down my face. My face was a reflection of...

Kagura's 

"You can't ask a father to kill his daughter..." Once he finally said this I realized. He wasn't giving up his life for one person... But two.

"Kill me now Zen!" His arms and legs started to recover "Before I kill you!"

"I~"

I put a crosshair on Kagura's heart

He started to claw his way back to his feet

I made up my mind. I forced my self to do it.

...

...

...

I pulled the trigger.

The bolts... Went through... Kagura's body went limp.

Kagura started to speak to me, but I couldn't hear it.

I didn't deserve to hear it. Kagura was a greater friend and man then I will ever be. I bet he was cursing me in the end.

Kagura's body burst into data. After what happened I couldn't stop myself. I screamed. I could control my body

I flew up with max speed and burst into the world tree.

There Wig sat on top of a throne. I charged at him

"YOU KILLED MY JOKESTER"

He had an invisible wall that I collided into

"YOU KILLED MY PERVERT"

I ran into the wall.

"YOU KILLED MY BEST FRIEND"

The wall collapsed

...

...

...

To be continued


End file.
